Cereal Aisle
by butterflyswest
Summary: Ray's past comes back to haunt him and shows Neela just what kind of man he is.
1. Chapter 1

_This story is actually a collaborative effort between two friends. One of us came up with the story line, and the other brought it to life. Both are equally responsible for this story. This is only the first installment, so don't worry; there's more to come. We hope you enjoy!_

_JF &KMA_

1

Their shift was over, and Ray and Neela were ready to go home.

"Are you ready yet?" she asked, trying to keep from sounding as tired as she felt.

"Just give me a minute, Neela. I'll be right with you."

She was impatient to be gone, and that impatience only grew as one minute turned into five and then ten.

"You are as slow as a child!" she finally snapped.

"I had to get my stuff," he said, shooting her a look that is part sheepish, part annoyed. He shrugged into his coat and threw his bag over his shoulder. "Are you ready?"

She rolled her eyes and headed for the door.

"Let's just go."

As they walked outside, the frigid wind hit them like a moving wall. Snow had begun to fall during their shift. The hard crystals hit their exposed skin, stinging like tiny needles.

"Man, its cold out here!" he said, and pulled his coat closer around his neck.

"I know," she said, her teeth starting to chatter. "All I want is to go home, take a hot bath, and get into bed where it's warm."

Ray swallowed hard. What a visual that was!

"Well you know the old saying," Ray said with a half grin.

"What saying?" she asked, shooting him a sidelong glance.

"It's warmer with two than with one."

"Shut up, Ray," she said, wrinkling her nose at him. "You are not getting into bed with me."

"I was thinking more about you in my bed," he shot back without thinking. "Come on. It won't be that bad. I can't be that hard to look at."

_No, _she thought to herself. _That is definitely not the problem._

"So what do you say," he continued, oblivious to her mental argument. "You and me in a warm…"

"Dream on, Ray," she snapped, cutting him off.

He shrugged with a nonchalance he didn't feel. _A guy can dream, can't he?_

"I just want to go home."

"Sure," he said. "But first, we have to go to the Jumbo Mart."

"What? No, Ray! Let's just go home. It's cold, and I'm tired. We can go tomorrow."

"We have to go tonight. I don't want you to be pissed at me in the morning."

She frowned, wondering at that. Why would she be angry with him in the morning? He nodded as if her frown settled the argument and started across the street without her. Like a child, he didn't even look to see if anything was coming before he bounded into traffic. Even so, she could not take her eyes off him. Feeling as if she were caught in a dream, she could not help but stare at the way he moved, at the way flakes of snow caught in his hair…

"Are you coming or not?" he called to her.

Jerked from her thoughts, Neela blushed that she had been caught daydreaming.

About him.

"I'm coming," she grumbled. "Keep your pants on." And blushed all over again at the image that phrase provoked. Looking both ways, she stepped off the curb and headed for the Jumbo Mart.

The store was nearly empty, and she found him in the cereal aisle.

"Wow! Look, Neela. Captain Crunch has blueberries in it now."

"What are you? Five?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

"That's so cool!" he continued, ignoring her barbed comment.

"Lovely," she muttered. "Now you have your sugar loaded cereal, can we go?"

"Not yet." He tucked the box under his arm and loped up the aisle. "I have to get some for you."

Her mouth dropped open as a sudden realization hit her. _No bloody wonder…_

"You ate all my cereal again, didn't you?"

"Yeah," he admitted with a puppy dog look on his face. "But I'm getting you more."

"But you ate all my cereal," she repeated.

"And, I'm replacing it. You'll have some in the morning, so what's the big deal?"

"The deal is, Ray that you…Oh, never mind. Just leave my cereal alone."

"Deal," he said, pulling a box from the shelf. "I really didn't like it much anyway."

She shot him a look that could have killed and waited while he paid.

"Let's go home," he said.

As they walked to the apartment, Neela looked up at the window. All the lights were on, and she nearly snarled.

"You forgot to turn the lights off before we left for work," she said accusingly.

"No I didn't," he said with a laugh. "Remember? You yelled at me and made me go back up to turn them all off."

Frowning, she glanced up at the windows again. He was right. As they reached the front door, they could hear music drifting from the apartment.

"You let your band mates over?"

"I didn't let them," he said defensively. "Look, I didn't know they were coming over."

"Of course, you didn't," she said, cutting him off.

_If looks could kill_, he thought ruefully, _then I would be a corpse._

The music only got louder as they went up the stairs, and Ray winced. It was a wonder that the neighbors didn't complain. The look on Neela's face was beyond pissed. All of a sudden, he regretted ever giving Brett a key. Right then, he would have taken a quiet night with her instead of a raucous night with his buddies. As they neared the door, the music was positively ear splitting, but the sounds of catcalls and laughter could still be heard, adding a beat to the whine of guitars. Hoots and whistles followed a scream of female laughter.

"They better not have brought one of their little tarts up here," Neela said in a steely tone. At that moment, Ray couldn't have agreed more.

He opened the door; half knowing what he was going to see. With the guys, it could be anything, but when he got a good look, his heart hit the floor. He could barely hear Neela shouting behind him. He glanced at her but couldn't speak to answer her question. What had she asked?

"What the hell is this?"

He shook his head, and turned back to the scene before him. Any words he might have spoken were trapped in his throat.

Neela's breath caught at the flat look of shock on his face. It was as if he had seen a ghost. She looked again at the girl and glowered at the men in the room. Couldn't they see that she was too young for them to be slobbering over?

Ray couldn't think as he watched her. The guys from the band were laughing and whistling with beers in hand. The girl was dancing to the music, enthusiastically going along with suggestions. As Ray watched in horror, she bent over and slid her hands up her leg provocatively.

"Do you know her, Ray?" Neela asked.

He shot her a panicked look.

"She's my…"

"She's your what?" she asked sharply, when he broke off.

He turned away in time to see the girl reach for the bottom of her shirt as if she were about to pull it off. Anger burned away the shock. Anger at her. Anger at the ass-holes that he called friends. Christ! Couldn't they see that she was just a baby?

"Emily Reena Barnett! Get down this minute!"

Neela felt her jaw drop as she turned to look at him. _Who?_

All eyes snapped to where he and Neela stood in the doorway. A couple of them actually looked ashamed as he glared at them all one by one. Someone switched off the music, and the sudden silence was almost as deafening. Finally, Brett stood, swaying unsteadily.

"We were just having a little fun here," he said thickly.

"Fun's over," Ray snarled.

"Don't be such a kill-joy," the girl said with a pretty pout.

"Get off the table, Emily. Now," Ray said through clenched teeth.

The pout turned to an ugly expression of defiance.

"No! You're not my father!"

Ray dropped his bag and was across the floor in three strides. Grabbing her arm, he yanked her from the tabletop.

Neela held her breath as she watched. She was helpless to look away. The look of rage on Ray's face was something she had never imagined. She had certainly never associated that emotion with him. Ray was the charmer. He didn't get angry, not in the conventional sense, and certainly not like this. _Who is this person?_ she wondered.

"Let go of me, Ray!" the girl said as she tried to jerk her arm from his grasp. "You're hurting me, damn it!"

"You're gonna break her arm, man!" Brett said. "Why don't you let her go?"

"Not a chance," Ray growled. He gave Brett a searing look. "Just leave now and I'll try to forget this happened."

Brett frowned with angry confusion. The others, seeing the dangerous glint in Ray's eyes, rose from their places and edged away from him toward the door. Brett stayed where he was.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Ray? We were just having some fun."

"I said the fun's over. Now, leave."

"I don't get you, man! This isn't anything new…"

Ray cut him off with a right hook. Brett stumbled back and fell onto the couch. Blood began to dribble down his chin and he wiped it away with the back of his hand. He stared at the blood for a moment and gave Ray a look of shocked indignation.

"You hit me," he said with wonder.

"And I thought you were my friends," Ray shot back.

"Jesus! We are! I don't get you…"

Ray took another step toward him, but stopped at a light touch on his arm. Neela was standing there, her dark eyes wide but calm.

"Let go of her, Ray," she said calmly. "You really are hurting her."

Ray looked at Emily and his blood ran cold. She had begun to cry and was prying at his fingers. The skin around them had gone white, and for the first time, he realized how tightly he was holding her. With a gasp, he let her go. She ran toward the back of the apartment, sobbing. Each sound tore into him. He cursed softly and turned away. Neela stayed with him, her hand a gentle pressure on his arm.

She looked at Brett and quickly assessed his injuries. He would live, she decided. No one ever died of a split lip.

"I think you should go," she told him quietly. "Let Ray cool off."

He stood, and opened his mouth to say something, but the look on her face changed his mind. He gave Ray's back a sullen glare and left the apartment, slamming the door behind him. Neela flinched at the finality of it.

"He's gone?"

Neela looked up at him. His eyes were closed and his head was down. She could feel the tension in him through the muscles in his arm and in the air around him. It was like standing next to a power line. The air was charged with the force of his emotions.

"He's gone," she confirmed.

All at once the charge went out of him and he stumbled to the couch. There, he collapsed, resting his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. Neela's heart clenched at the sight of him. He looked so unlike what she knew of him. Always utterly confident, cocky even, now he just looked defeated. Feeling as if she had fallen into a dream, she settled herself beside him.

"Do you want to tell me what just happened here?" she asked softly.

He scrubbed at his face and slumped back into the cushions. His gaze fixed on the ceiling and he shook his head.

"No."

"Then perhaps you can tell me who that girl is," she persisted. "She's in the bathroom crying her eyes out."

He actually flinched at that.

"That's where she went?" he asked dully. "I thought she left."

"No, she's still here," she said. "But you should give her some time to herself."

"I'll give her some time to herself," he said, starting to rise. "After I…"

Neela pulled him back down with a stern look.

"Leave her be, Ray," she said, trying to catch his eyes. "Look at me." When he turned his head away, she repeated the request more sharply. "Who is she? You obviously know her."

He sighed heavily. "She's my…" He cursed and smashed his fist against his knee. He gave her such a look of misery that she was sure that her own heart would break in response. "She's my sister, okay, Neela?" He shook his head. "She's my little sister," he said more softly

"Your sister?" she echoed. "I wasn't aware that you had a sister. How old is she?"

"Fourteen," he said bitterly. "She's only fourteen fucking years old and dancing on a table like some kind of…and my friends were just laughing it up like it was just great! What the hell is wrong with them? What's wrong with her? Doesn't she have any brains?"

He was starting to shout now, and Neela could only watch him in fascination. She could remember very few times that he had ever lost control. She thought that perhaps now she could add this to the list. Not that she blamed him.

"And what about my mom!" he continued heatedly. "Where is she when all this is going on?"

"Perhaps you should call her?"

"No," he said, starting to rise. "I'll find out right now."

Neela grabbed his arm.

"You are in no frame of mind to talk to that girl. Just stay here and cool off."

He shot her a sour look. "That bad am I?"

"Worse," she answered with a small smile. "I'll speak with her. Her name is Emily?"

He nodded and settled back on the couch to stare at the ceiling again.

Neela rose and went down the hall to knock on the bathroom door.

"Emily? My name is Neela. I just want to see if you are all right in there"

"Is Ray out there with you?" came the muffled reply.

"Well, he's out on the sofa, but…"

"I'm not coming out until he's gone."

Neela stared at the door in exasperation.

"This is his apartment," she said impatiently. "Ours if you want to be technical. I'd like to use the bathroom at some point."

The door opened a crack, and Neela wedged her foot in the opening to prevent the girl from closing it again.

"He's mad at me. Isn't he?"

Neela surveyed her tearstained face, looking for any sign of a kinship with Ray. She was not sure whom Ray favored, but this girl obviously took after the other parent. She was short where Ray was tall and had blue eyes to Ray's hazel.

"He was angry, but he's calmed somewhat."

"I'm not coming out until he leaves," Emily repeated stubbornly. "He'll yell at me."

"He's not going to yell at you," Neela assured her, not at all certain that she was telling the truth. "You and he need to talk about what happened here tonight."

Emily looked uncertain, nibbling her lower lip. Then she gave Neela a pleading look.

"Will you come with me?"

Bloody hell… 

She didn't want to get into the middle of a family squabble. A family squabble that seemed to go far deeper than simply this incident. But looking at the girl's hope-filled face, and thinking of the misery she had seen in Ray's eyes, she could not say no.

"I'll be right there with you," she finally said, hiding her reluctance behind a smile.

Emily edged out of the bathroom as if there was a wild animal waiting to attack her. Neela guided her down the hall to where Ray waited. His eyes followed every move as they entered, settling on Emily as she sat on the sofa as far from him as she could get. Neela paused, still uncertain that she should get in the middle of this, before she settled in the vast space between them. The silence stretched out until Neela was sure that they would simply sit there staring at each other until hell froze over. She nudged Ray and gave him a pointed look.

"Shouldn't you say something?" she whispered.

"What are you doing here, Emily?"

Neela blew out an exasperated breath. _That's not exactly what I had in mind,_ she thought.

Emily huddled closer to the arm of the couch and said nothing.

"Why the hell are you here, Em?" he said, his voice rising.

Neela glanced at her and saw her flinch as if expecting a blow. A single tear escaped her tightly closed eyes and cut a trail down her cheek.

"Ray…" she said in warning.

He growled and ran his hand through his hair in frustration. He needed to stay cool or he was never going to get anywhere with her. He pulled back and searched for calm. After a moment, he thought he could speak without yelling.

"How did you find me, Em?"

He felt Neela's eyes on him, but refused to look at her. He didn't want to see the shock and disappointment that was sure to be written in her expression. His own sister didn't even know where he lived.

"You know that birthday card you sent me last June?" Emily asked softly.

He frowned. He remembered the card. He'd seen it in the store and couldn't resist buying it.

"It had a kitten on it," he said.

"Yeah. Well you didn't put a return address on it…like always, but when I opened it, there was a check for a thousand dollars inside. There was some guy's name on it and it said 'rent payment' at the bottom. There was a funny name at the top and this address."

Neela turned slowly to give him an exasperated look.

"You sent your sister our rent check?" she asked slowly. Her tone was calm, but he could see the flare of annoyance in her eyes.

"I told you I sent it," he said defensively.

"To the wrong person," she snapped.

"I was in a hurry that day," he said with a shrug.

"That's nothing new," she said sarcastically.

He ignored the barbed comment and focused again on Emily.

"How did you get here?" he asked her. His heart dropped as something suddenly occurred to him. "You didn't tell…"

"No! I wasn't even sure that this was where you lived. I just hoped it was and took the bus."

"Jesus!" he shouted, jumping up to pace. "Do you have any idea what could have happened…?"

"Ray," Neela warned.

He bit back the rest of his words and turned away with his hands on his hips.

"Does Mom know you left?" he asked tightly.

"No," Emily said, hesitating on the word.

_Stay calm,_ he told himself.

"What do you mean 'no'?"

"I don't think so," she said this time. "I just left, okay."

He spun around to glare at her.

"It's not 'okay'," he said harshly. "How could you be so…?"

"Enough!" Neela cried, holding up her hands. She gave Ray a pointed look then glared at Emily. "Perhaps tonight is not the time to discuss this. It's late, and we are all exhausted. The two of you aren't going to get anywhere shouting at each other."

Ray and Emily glanced at each other in grim silence then quickly away.

"Whatever," Ray muttered.

Neela rolled her eyes at his back and rose.

"Come with me, Emily. You can have my bed for the night."

Neela pulled the girl from the sofa and steered her toward her room. Once inside, she shut the door and began to go through her closet.

"You'll need something to sleep in," she said as she rifled through her clothes. "Did you bring anything with you?"

"No. I just left after…"

Neela paused, sensing something wrong. She looked over her shoulder, but Emily was looking at everything but her. Neela hid her concern and pulled a shirt from the closet.

"This should do for now," she said as she handed the clothes over.

"Thanks."

Neela turned around so she could change.

"So are you Ray's girlfriend?"

"No!" Neela said too sharply. She took a breath. "We're roommates and colleagues."

"Oh. You're a doctor too?"

"Yes. Are you finished?"

Neela broke off and froze as she was turning. Emily's arm was purple from her elbow to her shoulder. Neela frowned. Ray had not done that. He'd grabbed the other arm. Emily yanked the arm of the shirt down, hiding the ugly purple mark.

"What happened to you?" Neela asked, although she was afraid she already knew the answer.

"I…ran into a door," Emily said lamely.

Neela crossed the room and lifted the shirt sleeve just enough to see that the bruise had traveled all the way around the bicep, the darkest marks outlined like fingers.

"Where did you get this, Emily? And don't lie to me. I cannot help you unless you tell me the truth."

Emily jerked her arm away and backed up one then two steps. Her eyes were wide in her face as she gave Neela a pleading look.

"I can't tell you," she said softly.

"Why not?"

The girl glanced at the door then back again.

"You'll tell Ray and he'll yell at me again. I don't want him to be mad at me."

"He's your brother, Emily. He's not going to hurt you."

Emily looked away. "It would be better if he did."

Neela could only stare at her, the suspicion in her mind a certainty now. She wondered briefly if she should just go to Ray now and tell him…No. He had enough to think about tonight without her adding to his worries.

"If you tell me exactly what happened, I will not tell Ray tonight, but first thing tomorrow morning, you have to."

She looked positively terrified at the thought.

"I can't…"

"You can and you will," Neela said firmly. "Either that, or I tell him now. Which do you prefer?"

Emily looked as if death would be a finer alternative, but she finally nodded. She sat down on the edge of the bed and wrapped her arms around her middle.

"I was sent home from school a few days ago for fighting. The other girl started it. I was just defending myself, but they wouldn't listen." She sighed heavily. "They called my dad, and he was waiting for me when I got home." She looked at the floor and a tear dropped into her lap.

"Did he hit you?" Neela asked kindly.

"Yes, but that's the only bruise. That's where he grabbed me. Most of the time, he knows how to hit you without leaving a mark."

Neela swallowed hard, anger and worry gnawing at her. With a sick feeling in her stomach, she wondered if Ray had experienced what she had described once upon a time. If he had, then it would go a long way toward explaining why he never spoke of his past, and why he would not even tell his sister where he lived. Her heart clenched at the thought, and she suddenly understood him. Understood and admired, as she never had before.

"It will be all right," Neela said and put her arm around the now sobbing girl. "You're here now, and Ray won't let anything happen to you."

"And you won't tell him?"

"Not tonight," Neela promised. "You'll do that in the morning. Promise?"

The girl nodded reluctantly. "Okay."

Neela gave her a squeeze and rose from the bed.

"Try to get some sleep. Things will look better in the morning."

Emily nodded, and Neela opened a cupboard to retrieve a pillow and blanket. As she was leaving she heard Emily call her name.

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

Neela sighed as she closed the door behind her, wondering if this ruddy day would ever end. She made her way to the living room and to where Ray still sat. She paused to watch him. He had his head back, his eyes closed. By his grim expression, she wondered if he might not be reliving old memories. She crossed the room to stand beside him. Her fingers ached to touch him, to soothe his pain. She even started to reach toward him, before she pulled her hand back.

"Ray?"

"Yeah."

"You should get some sleep," she said.

"I'm not tired."

"Well, I am," she said with a sigh, "And you're sitting on my bed."

He opened his eyes in surprise.

"You're not sleeping on the couch," he said. "You gave up your bed for my sister. I'll take the couch. You can take my bed."

Half panicked, she glanced toward his room then back. She didn't want to sleep in his bed. That was too much like…like things she refused to think about. She would have argued had he not seemed so lost, defeated even. Her heart softened, and she nodded, holding out the pillow and extra blanket.

"Then take these," she told him.

"Thanks." He seemed to be about to say something else but shook his head. "Good night, Neela."

"Good night."

She paused at his door and looked back at him. He was in the same place, as if it were too much of an effort to lie down. She shook her head, and let herself into his room. There was nothing more she could do for him unless he decided to open up to her.

As she closed the door behind her, she let her gaze roam across the room. It was as she expected really. There was a pile of dirty laundry in the corner. At least she thought it was dirty. With Ray, it would be impossible to tell. Band posters and photos of concerts he had played at were tacked to the walls. The bed was haphazardly made at best, but Neela didn't care about that. Just so long as she could lie down, she would be overjoyed.

She kicked off her shoes and shucked off her pants before crawling between the sheets. Another wave of unreality threatened to wash her away. Was it just an hour ago that Ray had joked about getting her into his bed? At the time she had never thought it would happen. Now she could think of nothing else. She breathed deeply trying to slow her pounding heart. It only made things worse. He was everywhere in this room. His pictures, his clothes, his uniquely masculine scent clung to the pillow she was resting on. Groaning, she threw her arm over her eyes.

"Neela?"

She propped herself up on her elbows to find him standing in the doorway.

"Yes?" His face was in shadow so she couldn't see his expression, but, as she had earlier, she could feel his anxiety as he stood there. "Are you all right?"

"Yes…no. I can't sleep."

"Do you want to talk?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Not right now. I'm too…"

He broke off and seemed about to leave.

"Ray, wait."

"What?"

Neela bit her lip. Cursing herself silently for what she was about to do, she plunged ahead anyway.

"Why don't you sleep in here?" she said. "You need rest. Perhaps you'll sleep better in your own bed."

He froze in place.

"Are you sure?" he asked softly, praying she wouldn't take it back. He needed to be near someone, anyone right now. No. Not anyone. He needed to be near Neela. He couldn't imagine what she thought of all of this. He cringed inwardly to think that she had seen him at his worst. But she was still here. She was in his bed.

"I'm sure, but don't think to take advantage. You sleep on top of the blanket."

"Fair enough," he said. The last thing he wanted to do was take advantage. Right now, it was enough for him that he wouldn't be alone with only his thoughts for company. He much preferred Neela's warmth to cold memories. Those memories were too close tonight. Without another thought, he pulled his shirt over his head, kicked his shoes into a corner, and crawled in bed next to her. Resisting the impulse to simply pull her close to him, he laced his hands behind his head and stared at the darkened ceiling.

"Why is she here?" he asked, thinking aloud. "Why did she come to me?"

He felt Neela roll to her side to look at him.

"I'm sure she'll tell you in the morning," she said softly.

He stiffened at the tone of her voice and gave her a sharp look.

"Did she say something to you, Neela?" She bit her lip and looked away. "She did, didn't she?"

"Ray…"

"You have to tell me," he said urgently, turning to face her. "It's driving me nuts. I haven't seen her in three years and suddenly she shows up here." He paused and took a deep breath. "Please, Neela. Whatever you promised her is not helping her. You know that."

"I know," she said heavily. "But this isn't the time. You should really hear this from her."

"And I will," he said. "Right now, though, I'm going crazy because I don't know a damn thing. Please…"

She winced and sat up, wrapping her arms around her knees. She couldn't stand to see the hurt in his eyes. It was the please that tore at her. Ray Barnett didn't beg for anything.

"Just tell me one thing, Ray."

"What?"

"Why didn't you tell me you had a sister? Why all the secrecy?"

He grimaced and rose, crossing the room to stand at the window.

"It's a long story," he muttered, staring out at the city. He gave her a bitter look over his shoulder. "But I'm sure you'll find out all about it soon, if you haven't already." He nodded when she looked away. "Thought so."

"Ray, I'm sorry…"

"What did he do to her?" he asked tightly. "How bad is it?"

"A bruise," she said softly. "A big one."

She saw the muscles in his jaw clench tightly in the glow from the streetlights outside. When his fist came down on the windowpane, she actually jumped.

"That bastard! I'm going to kill him. It's bad enough…"

He broke off and turned his back on her to brace his hands on the windowsill. Neela threw back the blanket and approached him carefully. She expected him to flinch away from her touch, but he didn't.

"What's bad enough, Ray?" She tilted her head around his arm to look at his face. His eyes were closed but his face was scrunched as if he were in pain. "I can't help you unless you talk to me."

"You can't change the past, Neela," he said in a choked voice.

Her heart seemed to skip a beat at the single shiny tear that slid down his cheek. Without thought, she reached out to wipe it away.

"It's not your fault," she said softly. "What he did then, or what he's done now."

He made a wounded sound that was half amused.

"Yes, it is," he said, opening his eyes to look at her. "I tried to take her away once. Right after med school." He laughed harshly. "I don't know what the hell I was thinking. I didn't have a damn thing to my name except my guitar. I was already busted up from what he'd done to me the night before. I'd mistakenly thought he might like to see me get my diploma. What a joke. I tried to take her that night, but got caught. Only my mom kept me from going to jail. Why, I don't know." He took a deep breath. "Any way, I moved into the city, started at County, and never looked back."

"Not once?"

"No. It was better for everyone that way. I didn't have to see them, and Mom didn't have to lie and make excuses anymore. I wonder if she knows about all of this."

"I'm sure she does now," Neela said softly.

He pushed away from the window. "So, you see, Neela, it is my fault. I should have taken her away before this. Maybe if I had…"

"Stop! If you had you would likely be in prison right now instead of here. What could you have done for her then, Ray? Tell me."

"That's not the point. I just abandoned her. I left her alone."

"Not alone, Ray," Neela said shaking her head. "You're here for her now. Now is all that matters."

He seemed so lost, so dejected, that Neela thought her heart would break. It hurt to see him this way. It made her want to hold him, protect him, drive away the hurt.

_Well, why not? _her mind whispered.

Why not? She didn't hesitate to figure the consequences, she simply acted, and wrapped her arms around him. With a sigh that sounded like relief, he caught her up in his arms and buried his face in her hair.

"What am I going to do, Neela?"

"Right now, you're going to get some sleep," she said gently. "We'll figure the rest of it out in the morning."

He nodded and released her. He gave her a pleading look.

"Will you stay with me tonight? I just…I don't want to be alone."

She swallowed and nodded. After what she'd just heard, how could she say no? She climbed back into bed, and he flopped down beside her. When he turned to wrap his arm around her, she couldn't object. It felt natural to have him so close, to have him pressed against her.

It felt…wonderful.

"Neela?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

There was a long moment of silence.

"Neela?"

"What, Ray?"

"Didn't I tell you that it would be warmer with two in bed?"

"Shut up, Ray."


	2. Chapter 2

_We just want to say thanks for the great feedback we recieved on the first chapter! So, we couldn't keep you folks hanging any longer._

_Thanks!_

_JF&KMA_

2

When Neela woke up the next morning, the first thing she saw was Ray, his face half buried in the pillow next to her. His arm was still around her, holding her close. At some point, he had all but wrapped himself around her because his leg was hooked over her as well. Instead of being uncomfortable, she felt oddly safe to be held in such a way, as if nothing could touch her.

She raised her head a little to look down at him. He seemed different when he was asleep. His expression was softened, vulnerable. In sleep, the wall he kept around himself with humor was gone, leaving behind only him. She had a sudden impulse to kiss him. To simply press her lips to his skin. It was something she would never do while he was awake, but it seemed safer now, without other things getting in the way.

She leaned forward and lightly touched her lips to his cheek. It was barely a kiss it was so light, but she didn't want him to wake up while she was giving in to her whim. His warm scent filled her head, and for a moment she simply breathed him in.

Realizing what she was doing, she pulled away and carefully slid out from under his arm and leg. Her face felt flushed, as if she was coming down with a fever, but she knew it wasn't so. She thought of what he would have said had he caught her mooning over him like a bloody schoolgirl, and hurried to dress so she could escape and pull herself together.

"Neela? Where you going?"

She froze for a split second in the act of pulling on her pants.

"I'm going to make some coffee," she said without turning around. "Go back to sleep."

"OK," he said, his voice groggy. "I'll get up in a minute to make breakfast."

She frowned and spun around to see if he was teasing her about her cooking again, but his head was buried in the pillow. Deciding, that he was barely awake and not making fun, she opened the door.

"Neela?"

"Yes, Ray."

"Thanks. Thanks for everything. You really are the best."

"You're welcome," she said, a smile twitching at the corners of her mouth. "Now, go back to sleep."

Ray waited until he was sure that she had left the room before he rolled over onto his back. He was stunned at what she had done. She had kissed him. Not a real kiss, of course, but a kiss nonetheless. It had taken every ounce of strength he had to lay still and not turn his head to show her how he wanted to kiss her. It would only have driven her off. He could wait, though it was damn near an agony. He groaned and scrubbed at his face with his hands. Holding her the night before had given him a peace that he'd never known before, and he wasn't about to ruin it by rushing her.

As she shut the door behind her, she paused to suck in a deep breath. That could have been a disaster. She never would have lived it down had he caught her. Her cheeks burned with mortification. What if he had opened his eyes while she'd been making a fool of herself? She didn't want to think of what she would have done. Died, perhaps.

She sighed with relief that she had not had to face him, and pushed away from the door to go make coffee. In the kitchen, she found Emily rummaging through the cupboards. She stopped when she heard Neela's footsteps and scowled over her shoulder.

"Have you got anything to eat around here?"

Neela nodded and began to measure out coffee into the maker.

"Ray and I brought cereal home from the market last night, but I was going to make something for all of us in a bit."

"What kind of cereal?"

Neela wrinkled her nose with distaste and told her. She could not fathom why Ray liked to eat that sugary swill, but he ate it like candy. She rolled her eyes. Perhaps that was the attraction.

"Captain Crunch has blueberries in it now?" she heard Emily cry. "That's awesome."

So much for no family resemblance…

"Emily, why don't you look in my closet for something to wear, and take a shower while I make something for breakfast?"

Emily reluctantly replaced the box on the counter.

"You don't mind?"

Neela flipped on the coffee maker and turned around with a smile.

"I don't mind at all."

The girl smiled, and then glanced around the apartment.

"Where's Ray?"

"He's still sleeping," Neela answered as she opened the refrigerator. Could one make omelets with only four eggs?

"Are you sure you're not his girlfriend?"

Neela paused before she straitened to give her a carefully neutral look.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well," Emily drawled, "You said last night that you weren't, but you spent the night in his room. He's not on the couch, so he could only be in there with you." She shrugged, uncomfortable under Neela's suddenly sharp scrutiny. "I was just wondering why you would sleep in the same bed if you aren't his girlfriend."

Neela opened her mouth and shut it again. Emily had a sharp mind and a teenager's curiosity. Neela, however, didn't like that curiosity aimed at her. She cleared her throat nervously.

"People can sleep in the same bed and be only friends," she said. She felt another blush rise to her face and bent to look in the fridge to hide it. "Now, go take a shower."

"Okay, okay. I can take a hint," Emily said as she turned on her heel. At the doorway to the hall, she paused and looked back. "But you do like him don't you?"

Neela groaned inwardly and gave her a stern look.

"We are just friends," she said with mild impatience. "Now go and take your shower."

Emily threw up her hands as if to ward her off, but her mouth was twisted in a familiar crooked grin.

"All right already! I'm going."

Neela watched her go, thinking that she'd had a conversation like this before. Talking to Emily was like talking to Ray. She raised one eyebrow and shook her head. _That annoyance trait must run in the family_, she thought, as she began to search the icebox for something edible.

She discarded several containers of…well something lethal she was sure. Whatever they had been was a mystery that she would rather not have solved. She was in the process of throwing out another when Ray burst into the kitchen.

"Where's Emily?" he asked quickly. "I looked in your room and she's not there."

"Relax, Ray. She's in the bathroom taking a shower. I gave her some of my clothes."

"Oh. Well. Okay."

He ran his hands through his hair and glanced down the hall, before he dropped in a chair.

"What am I going to do here, Neela?"

She frowned at him and dropped another Styrofoam container in the garbage.

"What do you mean?"

"I haven't seen her in three years. What do I say to her? She's not a little kid any more."

She stopped what she was doing to sit beside him at the table.

"Just talk to her, Ray. She's not a child any more, but she'll understand if you just talk to her."

He made a face.

"Yeah, but what do I say? Do I say, 'Sorry I haven't been there for you. I've been busy'?"

"No," she said, ignoring the sarcasm. "You listen to what she has to say, and you stay calm. If you yell at her, it'll only make things worse."

"Will you stay and help me, Neela?" he asked, shooting her a pleading look.

"I can't be a mediator here, Ray."

He took her hand and gave it a squeeze. Her heart jumped in her chest at the contact, innocent as it was. Bloody hell! Why did the smallest touch of his hand make her giddy?

"Please, Neela. I can't do this without you."

She chewed on her lip and looked away from the mute appeal in his eyes. How did she get herself into these things?

"All right," she told him reluctantly. "As your friend, I'll stay, but I can't interfere. It wouldn't be right."

He smiled and pulled her to her feet to give her a hug and a kiss on the top of her head.

"Are you sure you're not boyfriend and girlfriend?" a voice asked from the hallway.

They jumped apart as if they'd been caught doing something they shouldn't have. Neela returned to the excavation in the fridge, trying to hide her discomfort.

"Can it and sit down," Ray said giving her an annoyed look. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's rude to sneak up on people?"

She made a face and fell into a chair. "You're getting testy in your old age, Ray. You know that?"

He looked at Neela but she had turned away with her hand over her mouth. Of course she would find that amusing.

"What are you doing here, Em?"

She dropped her gaze to the tabletop.

"Emily?" Neela said in warning. "You promised."

Emily gave her a look of stark entreaty before staring at the table again.

Neela could see the frustration in Ray's face and moved quickly to avert disaster. She sat next to the girl and took her hand.

"If you want Ray to help you, then you need to tell him what's happened," she said kindly.

Emily sighed and finally looked at Ray.

"I didn't have anywhere else to go," she said in a small voice.

"Why not, Em?" Ray asked, taking his seat. "What happened?"

"I got suspended from school," she said at last, avoiding his eyes.

"For..?"

"Fighting. The other girl started it! She pushed me. The dean of students didn't care."

Ray stood, muttering under his breath, and Neela frowned at him.

The old Barnett temper… 

"So they sent me home, and called Dad." She paused, and then whispered, "He was waiting for me when I got home."

Ray's jaw tightened and he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Go on," he bit out.

"He was mad, and he was yelling. I tried to tell him what happened, but he wouldn't listen either." She shrugged. "I got sick of it and started to go to my room. He grabbed my arm and started thumping away, telling me how I was just like my no good brother…"

She trailed off, her face crumbling as she started to cry. Ray threw Neela a desperate look and knelt down before her. He pulled her hands from her face and lifted her chin with his fingers.

"Honey, don't cry. Come on, please?"

She sniffled and nodded weakly. "Okay."

"Is that everything?" he asked. "You have to tell me everything if you want me to help you, Em."

"He…he said that he'd kill me before he let me be like my brother."

Ray's mouth dropped open, and he jumped to his feet to pace the tiny space in the kitchen. He stopped and stared down at Emily for a moment, his fists clenching, before he began to pace again. Neela felt Emily's hand clutch hers as they watched him. The look on his face was enough to silence them. He was positively enraged. Finally, with savage snarl, he lashed out and punched the cupboard door. He seemed not to even feel the pain.

"Ray!" Neela cried, as Emily threw her hands over her head with a muffled sob.

"I'm going to kill him!" he bellowed.

Neela jumped from the chair and darted around the table to stand in front of him. Her blood was racing in her ears until she could hear only the rush of her pulse. She grabbed his wrists in a loose grip, forcing him to acknowledge her. She gasped at the warring emotions in expressive gaze. Normally filled with humor, they now swirled with rage and…fear. Her stomach knotted at that. He was afraid, and hiding it behind a wall of anger.

"You have to calm down, Ray," she said softly. "Look what you're doing to her."

Ray pulled his gaze from Neela to look at his sister, and his anger suddenly evaporated. Never in a million years had he ever thought to be like his father, but just seeing her, huddled in a chair as if he was about to hit her, brought on a wave of remorse that threatened to capsize him. He'd lost his temper again. He nearly laughed. _Twice in two days,_ he thought morosely. It had to be some kind of record. He blew out a breath and gave Neela a grateful look. She had saved the situation again with her unbridled logic. She let go of his wrists, and Ray knelt again by his sister.

"I'm so sorry, honey. Please…I didn't mean to scare you."

She threw herself at him, and he caught her, holding her as if his life depended on it. He kissed the top of her head and stroked her still damp hair, murmuring soothing words.

"I should have taken you away a long time ago," he said brokenly.

"You tried that once," Emily said, her voice muffled against his chest. "But Dad caught you." She looked up at him, her face blotchy and wet with tears. "Then you left and never came back. I missed you so much…"

Neela bit her lip and swallowed against a sudden lump in her throat. Never would she have thought that Ray was capable of tears, but here she was, watching as he cried over his sister, over his own failure to protect her. She would never be the same after this moment. She would never look at him as anything but what he was; a man who loved deeply those he considered his. As he held his sister, Neela could finally see the deepest part of him, the part he held apart from everyone, and felt grateful that she had not turned away from him.

"I never meant to leave you alone," he said then, his voice hoarse with tears. "You know that don't you?"

Emily nodded. "It wasn't safe for you," she whispered.

"No, it wasn't," he agreed.

"Are you going to make me go back?" Emily asked, pulling away to look at his face.

Ray closed his eyes to block out the pain he saw in her eyes. No one would ever convince him that he was not at least partially to blame. He felt deeply that this would never have happened if he had just gone back and taken her away.

"No," he said finally. "I'll find a way, talk to some people. We'll work it out, honey." He opened his eyes and put his hands on her shoulders, bending down until his face was level with hers. "I'm sorry I let you down," he said urgently. "But it won't happen again. I love you, Em."

"I love you, too."

"You have to tell me one more thing, honey, then I want you to rest for a while."

"What?"

"Does Mom know that he hits you?"

Emily nodded and wiped her face with the backs of her hands.

"She told me to just stay out of his way."

Ray nodded shortly, and leaned forward to kiss her forehead.

"Why don't you go lie down for a little while?" he suggested quietly. "You've been through a lot the last couple of days."

Emily nodded and turned to go to Neela's room.

"Will you come get me when breakfast is ready?"

"Bet on it," Ray said, shooting her a crooked grin. He watched her until she closed the door to Neela's room, and then collapsed into his seat. He dropped his head to the tabletop and laced his fingers in his hair.

He didn't hear Neela cross the small space, but when she touched the back of his neck, he couldn't help himself. With a low groan, he turned and threw his arms around her waist, pressing his face against her belly. The feel of her arms around his shoulders and her hands stroking his hair was soothing and he felt himself relax.

"What am I going to do, Neela?"

"Well, after what we've just heard, I don't think we can let her go back," she said softly.

He sucked in a shaky breath and stood.

"How am I going to take care of her, Neela? I can barely take care of myself."

"It's not going to be easy," she said, framing his face with her hands. "But you are her brother. I know that you can do it."

Her expression changed suddenly as she realized what she was doing, how close they were. She started to lower her hands, but Ray caught them in his. Looking down at her, he was suddenly struck by how utterly beautiful she was. Her breath hitched in her chest as he brought her hand to his lips to place a soft kiss on the tender skin of her wrist. He inhaled the scent of her skin, flowery and spicy at the same time, intoxicating.

"Neela…" he began, trailing off when the words wouldn't come. Slowly, he leaned forward to press his lips to hers in a tender caress.

His head swam with even that simple contact, and he suddenly wondered if a man could die from the pleasure of a kiss. Without thought, he wrapped his arms around her to hold her in a light embrace, his hand stroking her hair carefully. He deepened his kiss, just a little, and thought he really would die when she kissed him back, matching him in tenderness, giving as well as taking. He would have gone on forever, kissing her like this, but the last thing he wanted was for her to regret what was happening. With Neela, it was best to let her make her up her own mind.

"Neela?" he whispered, drawing away a little.

"Y-yes?" she asked, her eyes dazed as she looked up at him.

"Will you help me? With Emily?"

To his surprise, she rose on her toes and gave him another kiss.

"Of course I will," she said quietly. She looked into his eyes and smiled reassurance. "We'll do it together."

Ray closed his eyes and pulled her close with all he had. If he had his way, this would be the way they would stay. Together.


	3. Chapter 3

_First, we want to thank everyone who reviewed the last two chapters! Every author loves to hear that his or her work is appreciated, and we appreciate everyone who reads it. Here is the next installment for those of you that have been waiting! Thanks again and enjoy!_

_JF&KMA_

3

Ray cooked breakfast, much to Neela's embarrassment. She sat and watched as he stirred and flipped and juggled everything as if he belonged in a kitchen.

"I can't understand why you eat that diabetic nightmare when you know how to cook," she said sullenly.

"I like it," he said with a shrug, his eyes on the stove. "Besides, if I ate your cooking…"

"I get the picture," she snapped irritably. He only smiled over his shoulder at her, making her heart jump in her chest. "I was on my own for a long time. I got tired of take-out."

She sipped her coffee, swallowing back a nasty retort with the bitter liquid. _If you're so tired of take out, why did I just throw away an icebox full of leftovers? _she thought to herself.

When he had stacks of fluffy pancakes on the table, Neela fetched Emily from her room.

"What, no cereal?" she asked, clearly disappointed.

"Hands off my cereal," Ray warned her.

As they ate, Neela listened to the good-natured banter between them and was relieved. After all that had happened to her, Emily would bounce back. So long as she felt safe, she would recover. And she could see that Ray was overjoyed to have his sister near him again. Watching them reconnect was amazing, and she was grateful that they allowed her to be a part of it. When it came time to clean up, however, the two of them disappeared, leaving Neela with the mess. Not that she minded. It gave her time to think.

She was still spinning from the kiss he had given her. Even the thought of it sent her pulse soaring and a blush to her cheeks. And she had kissed him back. She couldn't fool herself into believing that it had simply been a reaction. She had wanted to kiss him. In fact, she had wanted to for a very long time, had even dreamed about it. What was it about him that stirred her so? They had been roommates for a year. Sometimes, she felt that she knew him better than he knew himself. He certainly knew more about her than any other living soul.

She sighed and put the last dish into the drainer to dry. She could no longer deny that she had feelings for him. Neither could she lie and say that he could not possibly have the same thoughts about her. No one kissed like that without feeling something deeper than just the physical. Warmth burned across her cheeks and spread through her body. She had never been kissed like that before, as if their entire lives had been leading up to that soul searing contact.

She groaned and pushed away from the counter. She was driving herself crazy with this. She had to know. She had to know what it was he felt when he looked at her, when he kissed her. She refused be another notch on his bedpost. She wanted something real.

With a determined step, she headed down the hall toward his room. His door was open, so she poked her head inside and lightly rapped on the wood.

Emily was nowhere in sight, and Ray was stretched out on the bed with his hands behind his head. At her soft tap, he opened his eyes.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'm just trying to take it all in."

She slipped through the opening, glancing around.

"Where's Emily?"

"In your room," he said, closing his eyes again. "I gave her my IPod to listen to."

Neela nibbled her lip, debating about whether or not she should do this.

"Ray? Can we talk for a moment?" she asked, throwing caution to the wind.

His eyes opened wide at the tone of her voice. He studied her for a long minute, before patting the spot next to him on the bed.

"Have a seat," he said carefully. "What's up?"

She sat down, perching on the very edge of the bed, and Ray felt his heart contract painfully. This was the part where she told him that she didn't want him to kiss her again. She didn't care for him like that. That she regretted what she had done and said. He rolled onto his side and propped himself up on his elbow, waiting for her to say those things and break him.

"What's wrong, Neela?" he asked when she simply twisted her hands together and stared at the floor.

"It's nothing really…" she began.

"Come on," he urged. "You don't have trouble letting everyone know what's on your mind any other time."

She shot an annoyed look in his direction, and he settled back with a smile.

"Well?"

"What's really going on here?" she asked bluntly.

"What? You mean Emily? Listen, I'm sorry about my sister…"

"This has nothing to do with your sister, Ray."

He frowned.

"Then what is it about?"

"Well, you kissed me!"

"And you kissed me. Twice."

Her mouth dropped open in shocked realization.

"Actually three times if you want to count this morning in my bed," he added. If the smile on his face was any indication, he was thoroughly enjoying himself.

"You were awake?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes, I was."

She rose slowly to her feet, feeling humiliated. She was such a fool…

He pulled her back down with his arms around her waist, and stayed as close as breath.

"Are you going to tell me that you didn't want to kiss me?" he asked softly, his breath tickling her ear. Bollox! She couldn't think with him so close.

"I didn't say that," she said faintly. "It's just…"

"Just what?"

She closed her eyes as his fingers tangled in her hair.

"What does it mean, Ray?"

He stopped touching her and gave her a look of confusion.

"What does it mean?" he echoed, and then smiled that crooked, little boy smile. "I hope that it means that you care about me."

Neela turned to give him a piercing look.

"That's not what I'm talking about," she said irritably. "I've made my feelings quite clear."

The impact of her words hit him full in the chest, and his breath slammed from his lungs. He had not been sure, no matter what she said now, but he was now. She cared about him, and not the way friends feel about each other. The joy he felt almost overshadowed the hurt that her next words brought up.

"I just…I don't want to be another of your conquests," she said, her cheeks stained red. "I want more than that."

He sat back on his heels, staring at her in confusion. Is that what she thought of him? That he was a love-em-and-leave-em kind of guy? Sure, he had been with his share of women, but it wasn't as if he was with a new one every day. She didn't have any right…

Then, it hit him and he felt like an ass. Of course she would want to know that he cared about her. Neela was the type of woman who settled with one man. She needed to know that her feelings were not one sided.

He reached out and turned her with his hands on her shoulders before pulling her into his arms. She melted against him, proving his suspicions correct.

"I've wanted you for so long," he murmured into her hair. "I just didn't know how to tell you." He laughed softly. "You aren't the easiest person to talk to, you know."

"I know," she whispered against his chest. "And I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," he said, giving her a squeeze. "You drive me crazy that way."

She laughed at that.

"You were crazy already. I had nothing to do with it."

He grinned and kissed the top of her head.

"Come on," he said, pulling away. "Lay down with me for a while. Neither one of us got much shut eye last night."

It was strange to feel him wrapped around her, but when she settled beside him, there was nowhere else that she wanted to be. Spooned up behind her, with one arm across her chest and the other around her waist, it was as if the world outside did not exist. There was only this moment of calm and quiet.

"What are we going to tell everybody?" she asked.

There was a long pause before he answered.

"I don't want to tell anybody, Neela. Not yet. I don't want to share this yet."

She smiled and closed her eyes. She didn't want to tell anyone at all. She saw the way that everyone at County seemed to feel that it was his or her right to know everything that went on in people's private lives. She saw the looks that were exchanged whenever they saw something that seemed odd. She didn't want that scrutiny aimed in their direction.

"That's fine. We'll keep this between us for now."

"I'll let the world know that you're my girl when we're ready."

She couldn't help but giggle at that. Just the idea that she could be anyone's "girl" was amusing. It was even stranger that she would be Ray's "girl". She laughed again and felt him smile against her hair.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"That phrase, 'your girl'," she answered. "I never thought it would be associated with you and me."

"Well it is, so get used to it." Then he laughed. "Just think of what everyone will say when we let the cat out of the bag."

That brought on another burst of giggles, and Neela couldn't help but feel how right this was. _Love should be like this, _she thought, and the laughter died in her throat. Where had that come from? She quickly pushed the thought away. _Love?_

"What are we going to do about Emily?" she asked to cover her unease.

"I'm not sure yet," he said. "I'm still trying to get around the fact that she's here."

"Well, I don't think we should let her go back to that situation."

His arms tightened around her, and she felt him nuzzle her neck.

"I like it when you say 'we'," he said with a growl, and laughed when she gave his arm a light slap.

"Stop being silly and focus," she chided. "We have to come up with something. We cannot simply keep her in hiding."

"I know," he said with a heavy sigh.

"And if things are as she said…"

"It wouldn't surprise me," he bit out. "Trust me. My dad is a nightmare."

Neela was silent for a moment.

"What if we found a way to let her stay here?" she asked slowly.

He froze, and then propped himself on his elbow to look down at her.

"You wouldn't mind?" he asked.

She smiled up at him. He had such beautiful eyes. And the way he was looking at her now, she wanted to melt. She reached out to touch his cheek, and he turned his head to kiss her palm. He wrapped his fingers around her wrist, sending little surges of electricity shooting through her.

"Why don't you ask me?" came a voice from the doorway.

Neela sat up so quickly that her head connected with his chin. Through the pain, she heard his teeth click together and wondered for a moment if he had bitten his tongue. She felt her face heat up as Emily began to giggle, and Ray grabbed his mouth.

"Oh damn! Are you all right?"

He grimaced. "I think I'll live," he said dryly and turned to glare at his sister. "Didn't anyone teach you to knock?"

She covered her mouth to stifle her giggles and shook her head.

"Go figure." He gave Neela a look of concern and pulled her hand away from her head. "You're gonna have a good bump," he said, and kissed the spot. "We'll finish what we started later," he murmured in her ear, and Neela's stomach fluttered.

"Well, now that you're here you might as well come in," he told Emily. "Then maybe we can figure out what to do with you."

She frowned, pouting at his choice of words.

"I don't see why anything has to be 'done' with me," she said peevishly, dropping onto the edge of the bed. "Why can't I just stay with you?"

"Well, for one thing, Mom is probably worried sick about you."

"Don't bet on it," she muttered, examining her nails. "I guess that next you're going to say that there's not enough room here." She scowled at them. "I thought that you were only roommates."

Ray and Neela looked at each other with slow smiles.

"We're kind of new to this," Ray said slowly. "But I wasn't going to say that. There are just a lot of things to consider here, Em."

"Like what? I don't see the problem. Dad hits me. Mom doesn't care. I don't want to go back. Ever." She shot him a hurt look. "Unless it's that you don't want me here."

He shook his head and gave her a hug.

"That's not it at all," he said adamantly. "I want you to stay here, Em, but you have to be sure. You'll have to leave your school and all your friends…"

"I don't really have any," she said quickly. "And that school is a joke. They don't care about you unless you're in trouble."

_So things haven't changed much_, Ray thought. It had been like that when he'd gone there too. He knew exactly what she felt. Back then, his temper had ruled him, and had gotten him in trouble more times than he could count. He was still convinced that his grades would have been better if the teachers hadn't hated him. There were two times he knew of when he had gotten the right answers and the teacher had counted them wrong. Not that his grades had been bad. He never would have gotten a scholarship if they had been, but it still pissed him off when he thought about it.

"We'll see what we can do," he told her finally, pushing those thoughts away.

"What matters right now is what's best for you," Neela said kindly, lacing her hand in his.

For a second, Ray thought his heart just might stop. Once again, she had reached out to him, and Neela was not the type to reach out to anyone for any reason. It touched something deep inside him that she would do so with him.

"First," she continued, giving him a questioning look, "I think you should call your mother so she won't worry."

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Emily said, cringing at the thought.

"Let us take care of it," Ray said. "I'll do everything I can to make sure that you're safe."

Emily nodded, clearly not satisfied.

"But first, you need some clothes, a toothbrush…" He glanced at Neela. "Would you mind taking her shopping for a few things, babe?"

She smiled, her face going crimson.

"I think I can manage," she said. "I think I like you calling me that," she added shyly.

"That's it! I'm out of here!" Emily said and quickly left the room.

"I think you embarrassed her," Ray said, laughing.

She raised an eyebrow at him.

"You started it," she accused, squealing when he pulled her into his lap.

"Now this is more like it," he said in a low voice. "If I wasn't on duty tonight…"

He left the rest hanging, making clear with his kiss what he would do if he didn't have to work. Just the feel of her slight weight in his lap was enough to drive him nuts. And the taste of her on his tongue made him lose all reason. Her arms around his neck and her fingernails lightly grazing his scalp made him think of other things he could do, ways he could…

With a groan, he pulled away, knowing that if he didn't, he would stay with her all day, and that was not something he could do right now. He smiled down into her flushed face and brushed a stray lock of her hair out of her eyes and tucking it behind her ear. There would be plenty of time for this later, and he intended to use every minute. He wanted to take his time with her.

"We'll have to finish this later," he said, his voice husky with need.

"Promise?" she asked promptly and bit her lip.

He pulled her close, laughing at the frustration that was showing clearly in her eyes.

"You can bet on it," he promised.


	4. Chapter 4

_Due to technical difficulties, this chapter is a little late in coming. Thanks for your patience. We also want to let you know that Chapter Five is in the works so don't panic when you hit the end of this one. More is on the way! _:) _Hope to hear from everyone on this one!_

_JF&KMA_

4

"How long are you gonna be gone?" he asked later, as they were getting ready to leave.

"I'm not sure," Neela said rummaging around in her bag. "A few hours at least. She hasn't a thing to wear so we're starting from scratch. Where are my bloody keys?"

Ray scooped them off the counter and dangled them in front of her face.

"Looking for these?" he asked, holding them out of her reach when she tried to grab them.

"Hand them over, Ray."

He grinned. "Sure. For a kiss."

"You are insatiable, aren't you," she snapped irritably.

"Completely."

She did her best to glare at him, but couldn't quite manage it. The way he kissed and the way she felt when he touched her, there was no way she could remain angry with him.

"This is bribery you know," she said as she lifted her lips to his. Unlike before, this kiss was soft, gentle even, but somehow it devastated her more.

"Good God! Get a room, why don't you!" Emily said as she huffed by them.

"I'd better go," Neela said with a laugh.

"Don't buy the whole store, babe. She doesn't need to be spoiled."

Reluctantly, she pulled away and followed Emily to the door. His heart skipped a beat when she smiled over her shoulder at him as she left, closing the door behind her. Good God, she was beautiful.

But his smile faded almost the moment the latch clicked. Though his heart was about to burst from the thrill of finally being with her, he still had things to do. The worst of it was calling his mother. He pulled air into his lungs and blew it out in a vain attempt to calm his nerves. He was not looking forward to this. Not one little bit.

He had told Neela the truth. Once he'd left his parents' house, he'd never looked back. It had been three years, and he only thought of that time when the dreams came. Then, the memories were too close to give him peace. Things had gotten better when Neela moved in, but they never quite left him. When she had come to live with him, he'd finally had someone there to take the edge off the nightmares. But now, he was knee deep in them, and it didn't sit well. In fact, he felt sick to think that he would have to revisit those memories.

He snatched the phone from the base and sat on the couch where he stared at it. How could such an innocent looking piece of plastic and wire suddenly seem so ominous? He laughed nervously, feeling as if he were about to go crazy, and began punching numbers. He dialed from memory. He had thought to call a thousand times over the years, if only to see how Emily was doing, but it had never seemed to be the right moment. But as the sound of ringing began over miles of telephone line, he knew that it was now or never.

"Barnett residence."

For one brief second, Ray considered just hanging up on his mother. Her voice hadn't changed. It was still the carefully neutral voice that she always used when she answered the phone. If he closed his eyes, he could almost see her there in the alcove of their house. Her blonde hair, so like Emily's, perfectly styled, and dressed in a smart pantsuit. It amazed him that he could picture her so vividly, but that wasn't the worst of it. How could she be so…so calm when he knew that her daughter was missing?

"Hello?"

"Hi, Mom."

She was silent for so long that he thought the line had gone dead.

"Ray? Is that you?"

"Yeah. How are you, Mom?"

"Good!" she said, almost too brightly. "It's good to hear from you. How have you been?"

He pulled the phone away from his ear to look at it, wondering if he'd called the right number. She hadn't heard from her own son in years and was acting as if nothing had happened.

"I'm fine," he said finally, pressing the phone to his ear. "Great, in fact."

"I'm glad to hear it, Ray."

"So what's been going on there?" he asked lightly. If she wanted to play the denial game, then so could he. He still remembered the rules. It was a well loved and time honored pastime in that house.

"Nothing really," she said with a dramatic sigh. "Your father just signed on a new partner at the firm, and I'm trying to plan a dinner for him."

Just the mention of his father gave Ray a sick feeling in his gut. Christ! Why would she think he cared about that?

"Listen, Mom, I was wondering if I could talk to Emily."

"Emily?" she echoed, and the hair on his neck rose at her hollow tone. "Why do you want to speak with Emily?"

"I just wanted to say hi. Maybe ask her about school. See how she is."

This time, the silence seemed to scream at him, and he actually winced.

"I'm sorry, Ray but you can't talk to her right now."

"Why not?" he asked quickly. _Just tell the truth, Mom_, he thought to himself. _For once in your life…_

"She's at school right now. You know that."

His disappointment at her quickly turned to anger. He clenched the phone in his fist so hard that he heard his knuckles crack. Even now, she wouldn't acknowledge the truth. One child, she hadn't heard from in years; the other was now a runaway, and still she pretended that everything was all right. He didn't understand it. He had never understood it and probably never would.

"That's right," he said, careful to keep the anger from his voice. "I guess I wasn't thinking."

She let out a forced laugh that sounded only this side of hysterical.

"That never was your problem, Ray."

"What?"

"Thinking. You always did think too much."

He frowned. "What is that supposed to…"

"I'm sorry, Ray, but I have to go. I'll tell Emily that you called."

Ray clamped his lips together and forced himself to breathe.

"I have to get ready for work anyway," he bit out.

"I'm glad you called, Ray," she said brightly. "And I'll let Emily know that you were asking for her."

"Sure," he said, not quite able to hide the sarcasm. "Bye, Mom."

He didn't even wait for her to say good-bye before he hit the button ending the call. With a sharp curse, he threw the phone across the room where it shattered against the wall in a rain of black plastic and multi-colored wire. Resting his head in his hands, he replayed the call in his head, hearing her words over and over again.

You always did think too much… 

_She's at school right now…_

_Everything's fine…nothing's wrong…_

Everything was just peachy.

He cursed and jumped up from the sofa to stalk to his room. He wished Neela was there. Right then, he could have used her strength to lean on. He felt as if he was about to fall into a thousand pieces, just like the phone. Clothes flew as he searched for something to wear to work. He hurried to get dressed, needing to get away from the apartment before he finally lost it. He slipped on his shoes and threw his bag over his shoulder, but stopped just inside the door. The remains of the phone were still scattered across the floor. He stared at them, hardly seeing them. An old memory suddenly surfaced, blinding him. His dad, standing over him, the phone in his hand, throwing it across the room. Watching as it burst, spilling its high tech guts all over the floor.

Ray closed his eyes and dropped his bag at his feet. His anger drained away, leaving him feeling exhausted. What was he doing? He didn't lose control like this. He didn't punch his friends and throw things against the wall. That was how his dad operated. He'd promised himself to never be like that, but here he was, acting the same way.

Feeling ashamed of himself, he knelt down and began to gather all the pieces. He dumped them in the trash, found a scrap of paper, and wrote a short note to Neela to explain why their phone was gone. He'd buy a new one after his shift and try to call Brett. He winced, thinking of what he had done to his friend. It was going to take a lot of ass kissing to get Brett to forgive him, but he'd do it. Whatever it took.

With that, Ray dragged his bag over his shoulder, and left, wishing only to get this day over with.

When he walked into the ER, however, he knew that his day was far from over. The reception area was overflowing with patients and crying children. The piercing shriek of a baby was like salt on his already wounded nerves. He hunched his shoulders and kept moving. It was all that he could do. Keep moving or go insane.

"Morris is looking for you," Frank said dryly.

Ray shot him a quelling look and skirted the desk without a word.

"I said…"

"I heard you, Frank," he snapped, rushing past.

"Sorry I bothered you. Just thought I'd give you a heads up that his highness is looking for you."

Ray rolled his eyes and kept going. He didn't have the patience for Frank's crap. Not today. He straight armed the locker room door, and tossed his bag on the bench. Changing into scrubs, he mentally prepared himself for his shift, hoping he could get through it without having a meltdown.

"There you are!"

Ray sighed and finished tying the knot on his scrub pants. Morris was the last person he wanted to see right now.

"I tried to call you, but didn't get an answer."

"Our phone's broken."

"Oh. Well, I was hoping you'd be early. We're swamped out here."

"So I gathered," Ray said, slamming his locker door. "Can't get anything by you can we?"

Morris gave him a blank look before shoving three charts into his hands. Ray grabbed them more out of self-defense than any wish to take them.

"You can start with these. A scalp lac on a ten year old that can't steer his bike away from trees. An eight year old with a broken arm and black eye. Sibling rivalry gone bad. And an adult male with a possible orbital fracture caused by an iron frying pan."

"A frying pan?"

Morris clapped him on the shoulder and grinned. "That's why I'm not married," he said cheerfully before sweeping from the room like a bad wind. Ray stood there for a minute, just staring at the door. Then he glanced at the charts in his hand and shook his head. Time to act like a doctor.

It took hours before he had a moment to breathe. He'd sewn up the little daredevil and sent him home. The eight year old was overjoyed with the bright blue fiberglass cast he received, and proceeded to annoy his sullen brother by flaunting it. Not wise, in Ray's opinion. The twelve year old had already "accidentally" broken the kid's arm, and Ray doubted that their tired looking mother could do much to curb their enthusiasm. The man he saw in curtain four did in fact have a fracture in his cheekbone, but it was not more than a crack. Ray admitted him anyway for observation; just in case there was something else that didn't show up on the CAT scan right away. He didn't want to be the one to send a slow bleed home to die. He was just clearing the board when he heard Abby say his name.

"Yeah," he said, turning toward her.

She studied him for a minute before tilting her head with a perplexed frown.

"You look wrecked," she said. "Rough night last night?"

"You have no idea," he muttered, before he swerved around her to retrieve another chart.

"Wanna talk about it?" she asked.

"Nope."

"It might help."

Ray opened the chart and scanned the details, deliberately ignoring her.

"Whoo! That bad, huh?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"All right, but I gotta tell ya, you're scaring the kiddies."

He whipped his head around, surprised.

"What?"

"Well, you almost bit Frank's head off when you came in. You've done nothing but snap and snarl all day. I was just wondering what's going on with you."

He grimaced and shook his head. Though he hated to admit it, she was right. He had been sharp with everyone today. All he wanted was to go home and get this thing with Emily taken care of, but he was stuck here. He didn't have a plan. He didn't have the slightest idea who to talk to. It wasn't like he wanted the sordid tale of his past tossed around, and he sure as hell didn't want them looking at him like he was the freak of the week.

"I'm fine," he said. "I just have some things on my mind."

"That's a first," Frank said from the desk where he had been listening. Ray held his hands out and gave him a warning look.

"Mind your own business, why don't you?"

Frank opened his mouth to say something else, but Abby cut him off.

"Shut up, Frank," she said in a voice reserved only for the feeble. When Frank turned away, she looked back at Ray. "Why don't you take some time away? I'll cover for you."

"I can't do that. Will you look at this place?" he asked, looking toward reception where it seemed to be standing room only. "I can't leave you in the lurch."

"Yeah, well, you aren't doing anyone any good acting like someone peed in your Fruit Loops this morning. Besides, I'm not telling you to go for the day, just to get some air, clear your head."

He glanced again at reception.

"Don't think, Ray, just go. Be back in an hour."

He sighed and gave her the chart.

"Thanks, Abby. I appreciate it."

"You owe me," she told him, as he walked away. "Ray?"

"Yeah?"

"If it's that bad, you might consider talking to someone. Wendell might be free. Maybe she could point you in the right direction."

A slow smile crossed his face. That would be perfect. Who would be better than a social worker to know what to do in this situation?

"I owe you big time," he said, backing down the hall.

"I know you do," she said smugly and turned back to the desk.

Feeling better than he had since last night, Ray punched the button to bring the elevator down. He hoped that Wendell wasn't too busy to talk to him. If she couldn't help him with this mess, then he didn't know who could. When the doors slid open, Ray bounced inside, hit the button, and waited impatiently for a miracle.


	5. Chapter 5

_We were overwhelmed with the response from the fourth chapter! Thank you all so much for taking the time to tell us what you think.Welike to know that we are doing a good job, and your commentsreally do help.We're posting this so soon afterFour because we just couldn't wait! _:)_ We're like kids at Christmas, really. So, please,read and let us know what you think._

_Thanks,_

_JF&KMA _

5

_I'm never having children, _Neela thought wearily as they left the fourth clothing store. In each hand, she carried at least three bags and the weight was dragging at her arms. If this didn't end soon, she was going to collapse. Emily, on the other hand, was thoroughly enjoying herself. _Of course she is,_ Neela grumbled to herself. _She has her own pack mule. _The girl had enough energy to power Chicago into the next millennium. Neela wished she could have borrowed that energy when she had gone to med school.

"Why don't we stop for a while," she said, breaking in on Emily's nonstop chatter about the clothes she had bought.

"Sounds good. I'm starving."

Neela swallowed back what she had been about to say, and nodded toward a café.

"Why don't we go in there and grab a bite," she said instead.

Emily raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. The place was a favorite of Ray's with checked tablecloths that had seen better days and stools at the counter. He swore that the place put something in the milkshakes that was addictive. Neela wouldn't have gone that far, but she had to admit the food was good. When they entered, a bell over the door jingled merrily and a few patrons glanced without interest in their direction before returning to their plates. They found a booth near the window, and Neela slid gratefully across the faded red seat, dropping the packages at her feet.

Emily's eyes were everywhere in wide-eyed fascination. She stared at the tablecloths. She exclaimed over the stools and the fact that they had ketchup on the table. The smell of frying hamburgers was awesome. Neela couldn't help but smile at her.

"Haven't you ever been in a café?" she asked.

"Are you kidding? Dad would die before he came to a place like this," she said with satisfaction. "He'd say that this was a home for trash."

Neela glanced around hoping that no one had heard her. All she needed was for someone to take her words the wrong way and get them kicked out.

"Why would he say that?" she asked.

Emily shrugged and snatched up a laminated menu.

"He says that anyone in his position needs to project an image," she said flatly as she scanned the offerings. Neela frowned. It had the sound of a well-rehearsed speech.

"And what position is that?"

"Ray didn't tell you?" Emily said, glancing up from the menu. "Our father is a big shot lawyer in Philadelphia." She snorted and went back to reading. "Big shot my butt," she muttered.

Neela sat back and stared at her. A lawyer. A big shot lawyer. No wonder nothing had ever been done about him. He knew how to manipulate the system, see that things didn't get out. She felt tears come to her eyes and looked out the window, thinking of Ray growing up in that environment. The frustration he would have been forced to endure because nobody would believe what he said.

"Aren't you hungry?" Emily asked, breaking into her thoughts.

Neela forced a smile and pulled another menu from the rack. No, she wasn't hungry anymore. In fact, she was a little nauseated. And she had thought that her parents were a nightmare. Her family was sunshine and roses compared to Ray's family.

The waitress came by the table and in a bored tone, took their orders. Neela waited until she was gone before she turned back to Emily.

"Tell me, Emily, why don't you want to call your mother?"

The words were out of her mouth before she even realized what she was going to say. For a moment, she wished that she could take them back. Emily's face went still as stone, before she rested her chin in her hand and looked out the window.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to pry…"

"Its ok," the girl said, her expression suddenly gloomy. She glanced at Neela out of the corner of her eye. "Ray didn't tell you anything about us did he?"

"No, he hasn't," Neela had to admit. "But things have changed. I know enough to fill in most of the blanks."

Emily nodded and looked away.

"The last thing I remember about Ray, is how he tried to take me with him when he left," she said softly before giving a short laugh. "I was so scared that night. I was so scared to leave that I fought him. Is that wrong? That I was scared?"

Neela shook her head, her throat tight.

"No," she finally said. "Children are often frightened of leaving their homes, even if it is a bad place for them."

Emily murmured something and continued to stare out the window.

"He was always so…cocky," she said finally. "I always wished that I could be like that and not cry when dad got mad. Ray never did. I remember mom crying about it. About Ray trying to take me. I remember her crying and telling him to just leave." She looked at Neela then, and the resentment in her eyes burned as brightly as a bonfire. "I hated her for that. Hated her as much as I hated him. She sent my brother away because she couldn't live without dad's money. That's why I don't want to talk to her, Neela."

Neela could only stare at her and hope that the horror she felt did not show in her face. Bloody hell! It was bad enough that their father had beaten them, but their mother had abandoned them as well. She thought of her own mother. Sure she was nosey, overly critical, and always wanted more than Neela was willing to give, but she did those things out of love. No matter how much she griped about her family she knew that deep down. It crushed her to think that neither Ray nor Emily had ever known that kind of love.

"I'm sorry, Emily," she said softly.

"It's ok," she said with a shrug. "It's not like you did that stuff. But now you know why I can't go back."

Neela nodded and followed her gaze out the sunlit window. Thankfully, the snow had cleared sometime in the night and the sun was shining weakly from the pale blue winter sky. Now she knew, but the knowledge offered her no comfort. Instead it made her sad and ashamed. All the times she had complained to Ray about her family, and he'd not once said a word. She wondered what he had thought of her petty complaints, and felt her cheeks burn. At that moment, she wanted to take back every word she'd ever uttered about her parents.

"Hey! Isn't that Ray's friend?" Emily said, thankfully interrupting her downward spiral of self-pity.

Neela looked where she pointed in time to see Brett crossing the street to the café. He had his hands stuffed deep into the pockets of his green fatigue jacket. The hood of the black sweatshirt he wore under it was pulled up over his head, but Neela recognized him instantly. It was hard not to. In this neighborhood, he stuck out like a sore thumb. Especially with the darkened bruise and split lip she could see as he neared. They watched as he yanked open the door to the restaurant and stomped inside. No one even glanced up as he stood just inside the door and scanned the seats, pushing the hood from his head. He froze when he saw Neela and his expression darkened further when he saw Emily across from her. Without a word, he spun on his heel and beat a hasty retreat from the café.

"Stay here," Neela said quickly as she slid from the booth.

"But…"

"Just wait here for our order. I'll be right back."

Without waiting for a reply, Neela chased him out of restaurant. She called his name but he didn't acknowledge her. When she finally caught up with him, she grabbed his arm to make him look at her.

"Just wait a minute," she said quickly when he jerked his arm away and began to walk away.

"Whatever you have to say," he threw over his shoulder, "I don't want to hear it."

"You don't understand…" she began, keeping pace with him.

"No, I don't," he shot back, turning finally to face her. "All I know is that my best friend is acting like a psycho. What happened last night isn't any different than we've done any other given night. He was out of line."

"Perhaps a little," Neela admitted, "But he had his reasons."

"He hit me! That was just…"

"She's his sister," Neela said suddenly, cutting him off.

His face went slack with shock and he looked back at the café as if he could see Emily through the walls.

"His little sister," she said, emphasizing "little". "But then, you buggers should have know that she was too young to be doing what you were encouraging."

He actually cringed when he looked at her.

"How 'little' are we talking?" he asked carefully.

"Fourteen."

He dropped his head to stare at his shoes and groaned. He ran both hands through his hair and paced away with his hands jammed deep in his pockets.

"Fourteen?" he asked, his face suddenly pale.

"Yes. But then, you should have seen that."

He blew out a breath and gave her a sheepish look.

"We were drinking," he said, remorse coloring every syllable. "She just showed up…we thought she was a fan…"

"Drinking is only an excuse, and you very well know it," she said sharply. "You didn't even think to ask her name? Her age?"

He shook his head.

"No. No, we didn't." He touched his lip gingerly and winced. "Christ, what a mess."

"Yes, it is, but it can be fixed."

He shook his head, looking at everything but her.

"I'm not so sure about that."

"He was angry," Neela said slowly, leaning to look him in the eye. "What would you feel if you came home and found your friends slobbering over your baby sister?"

His face turned to stone, before he laughed nervously.

"I'd kill 'em," he said ruefully.

"Now do you understand?" Neela asked more kindly. She and Brett had butted heads from time to time, but she knew that he was Ray's best friend. She wouldn't get in the way of that. From what she could see, Ray needed all the friends he could get. And deep down, Brett wasn't such a bad sort. He was just a pain in the neck occasionally.

"Yeah, I get it," he said. "But I'm not so sure that Ray will be overjoyed to see me again."

"Why don't you have lunch with us?" she said. "Then come back to the apartment and wait for him. Perhaps then you can both stop acting like children and apologize."

He made a face. "Do you always have to give me a hard time?"

"Only when necessary." She smiled. "Just talk to him, Brett. What harm can it do?"

He looked at the sky then back at her.

"If he hits me again, I'm blaming you."

"Just keep your hands off his sister and all will be forgiven I'm sure."

He shook his head and fell into step beside her as she walked back to the café.

"I didn't even know he had a sister," he said. "Hell, I wasn't even sure that he had family. He's so weird about his past."

"What did he tell you?"

"It varies depending on his mood," he said with a snort. "We just got used to not knowing. One day he's from Philly, the next his mom's in Florida." He pulled the door open for her. "I stopped asking, because it's not that big a deal."

Neela glanced at him and nodded. She knew exactly what he was saying. Ray was just…Ray. Until last night, his past had not been an issue. He could keep his secrets and still just be himself. But the more she discovered, the more she came to care for him. His strength amazed her. Many would have buckled under the pressures he had faced in childhood. Ray, however had taken what he'd been given and made a life for himself in spite of his beginnings.

"I understand," she said. He followed her as she made her way to the table where Emily waited. The food had come while she was gone, and Emily was enthusiastically munching on fries loaded with ketchup.

"You remember Brett don't you, Emily?"

Emily's face went red and she swallowed hard.

"Hi," she said hesitantly.

"How's it going?" he answered, sliding into the booth beside Neela. The look he gave her made Neela smile, and she hid it behind her hand. She knew what he was thinking. _Are you sure this is Ray's sister?_

"Fine." Emily frowned. "What happened to your face?"

Brett gave Neela a dark look from the corner of his eye, and she quickly looked elsewhere.

"I wasn't watching what I was doing," he said reaching over tosnag a menu. "Ran into a door."

"Good job there, genius," she said, and turned her attention back to her food.

The look on his face was priceless, and Neela couldn't hold it in anymore. Brett scowled at her as she giggled

"She's Ray's sister all right," he said dryly and began to read the menu.

"It's frightening, isn't it?"


	6. Chapter 6

6

Ray was so tired that he could barely put one foot in front of the other. After a very long night, and a seemingly endless day, he was ready to fall over. He paused in front of his building and stared wistfully up at the brightly lit window. What he wouldn't give to be able to just wish himself upstairs, but just knowing what he had waiting for him was enough to get him moving. His heart lifted a little with the thought of Neela, and he couldn't help but smile. He shifted the bag holding their new phone to his other hand and pulled open the door. With a sigh, he started up the steps to the apartment.

He could hear the TV before he reached the landing and shook his head. One of these days they were going to get an eviction notice for the noise. It was funny how that had never bothered him before. He'd always been a noisy neighbor. Between the band and his stereo there had always been enough noise to wake the dead, but things were different now. Now he had a family.

He froze in the act of reaching for the knob, a warmth he'd never known before spreading through his chest. His eyes burned, and he swallowed hard. A whirlwind of emotions unexpectedly rose up in his gut. Panic, fear, worry. But chief among them was contentment. It scared him suddenly how happy he was. At that moment, there was a bright future in front of him, and all he had to do was reach out and take it. Grasping the doorknob, he gave it a firm twist and pushed open the door.

The sight that greeted him was not what he had expected, and he could only stand there gaping like an idiot. Brett and Emily were both on their feet pushing and jostling each other with video game controllers in their hands.

"Will you stop!" he heard his sister squeal.

"You stop! I'm just…Now, look what you did!" Brett yelled back, dropping his hands to his sides. He turned to glare at her, and she returned his glare with a smug smile.

"Don't be a sore loser," she said primly.

"Best two out of three," Brett growled.

Ray jumped as a pair of arms snaked around his waist.

"Hey stranger," she said, her husky voice sending a shiver down his spine.

"Hey," he said, turning in her arms to pull her close. He took a moment to savor the feel of her soft body against his, letting her scent soothe him. With his hands on either side of her face, he bent to kiss her softly. "You are the best thing that's happened to me all day," he whispered in her ear.

"Bad day?"

"You have no idea," he said slowly, "But its getting better."

She smiled, and he thought he'd stop breathing right then.

"I friggin knew it," Brett said sharply, and they turned quickly to find him glaring at them.

"You knew what?" Ray asked, wondering if he was going to have to fight again. Whatever Brett wanted to do, he'd let him. He deserved all Brett could dish out and more for what he had done.

"First you punch me, then you steal my girl! I can't leave you alone for five minutes without you getting into some sort of trouble."

Ray narrowed his eyes, and Brett gave him a small smile. Relief flooded through him, easing some of the tension that he'd been carrying around all day. For whatever reason, Brett had forgiven him for everything. Even for being with Neela. He gave Neela's shoulders a quick squeeze and stepped toward his friend.

"Man, I didn't know she was your sister," Brett said quietly. "I swear to God, I didn't."

"I know that…"

"I don't blame you for knocking me on my ass, either," Brett continued ruefully. "If it had been my sister, I probably would have killed the jackass that did what I did." He rubbed the back of his neck and nodded toward Neela. "So when I ran into Dr. Neela and she told me what was what…"

He broke off and shrugged. Stunned, Ray turned to look at Neela. She gave him a tentative smile, as if she wasn't sure what he would say to her interference. What could he say except…?

"Thank you."

She blushed. "You're welcome."

"Oh, God. Are you going to start kissing again?" Emily said from the sofa.

"Pipe down," Ray shot back as he turned to Brett. "I'm sorry, man," he said, holding out his hand. "I didn't mean to lose it like that."

Brett grinned and grabbed his hand, leaning in to give Ray an awkward hug.

"You better treat her good," he said quietly, and Ray nodded, knowing exactly who he was talking about.

"That's a promise," he said before he pulled away.

"Well! Now that that's settled, I have to go teach your sister a lesson on this game."

"She's beating you isn't she?" Ray asked wryly.

"I wouldn't say beating," Bret began.

"Perhaps destroying?" Neela suggested. "Four times now," she then offered brightly. "Badly, I might add."

Brett cracked his knuckles and stretched his arms out.

"I'm just getting warmed up," he said defensively. "If you'll excuse me."

When he'd returned to the sofa, Ray turned to Neela and gave her a weak smile.

"How soon can we kick him out again?" he asked, his voice tense.

She frowned with concern and sensed that he had more on his mind than what had just happened. She reached up and touched his cheek.

"Are you all right?" she asked softly.

He shook his head and set the new phone on the counter.

"We have to talk, Neela" he said. "I have to tell you something."

Her throat closed up at the desperate look in his hazel eyes. She had never seen that look in his face before and wondered what had happened. The intensity of that look sent shivers not only down her spine, but to every cell in her body.

"Just a moment," she said.

She walked into the living room and leaned over the back of the sofa.

"Brett. Would you mind taking Emily out for a soda?"

He gave her a long look before stopping the game and turning to Emily.

"C'mon, brat. Why don't you and me get out of here for a while? I'll take you out for a pizza at the best place in town."

Emily jumped to her feet, her eyes shining.

"Really?" She turned to look at Ray. "Can I go?"

Ray gave her a forced smile and nodded.

Emily squealed and raced from the room to grab her coat.

"What's wrong?" Brett asked when she was gone.

"I need to talk to Neela about a few things that I don't want her to hear." Ray shot him a fierce look. "Take care of her like she's your sister, Brett."

"Trust me, Ray. I'm not stupid enough to make that mistake again." He probed his lip with his tongue. "It hurts too much."

He snatched his coat from the chair in the corner and pulled it on. He crossed the room and stood next to Ray, staring at him with a frown. Suddenly, he gave Ray's shoulder a squeeze.

"You know you can count on me, Ray," he said quietly.

Ray nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Just then, Emily bounded from Neela's room, gave Ray a quick kiss on the cheek and was out the door. Brett shot Ray one last searching look before he went after her.

"Have her home in two hours," Neela called after him. He waved to show that he'd heard her, and was gone, closing the door behind him. Neela dragged her eyes away from the door to find Ray watching her.

"What?" she asked, suddenly self-conscious under his scrutiny. "What is it?"

He dropped his bag to the floor and stripped off his jacket, his eyes never leaving her face.

"Do you know how beautiful you are, Neela? Do you even realize what you do to me?"

She felt her heart skip three beats before it sped merrily along in her chest. She struggled to drag a breath into her lungs, but the intensity in his eyes seemed to burn away whatever air there was.

"What are you talking about, Ray?"

He prowled toward her, each movement the lithe motion of a stalking cat, while she stood rooted to the spot. He stopped right in front of her and took her hand, placing it over his heart. Her breath caught as she felt his pulse pounding through her palm.

"That's what you do to me," he whispered, his voice rough. "That's what you've always done to me." His face twisted with some heavy emotion that seemed close to pain. With a low moan, he pulled her into his arms and held her as tightly as he could. She returned his embrace, clinging just as tightly to him. It was all she could do, for her knees were suddenly weak with the force of the emotions that were now singing along her veins.

"Neela, I…"

She lifted her face to look at him, and suddenly his mouth was on hers in a fierce kiss. She whimpered as his hands tangled in her hair, turning her head so he could gain a deeper contact. Her lips parted, inviting him inside, and he didn't disappoint her. His tongue teased the inside of her mouth as his hands slid down her back to cup her buttocks. It was all she could do to keep from crying out as he pressed himself, hard and insistent, against her belly.

"You do that to me, too," he whispered as he trailed soft kisses from her mouth to her ear. She hissed as his sharp white teeth nipped the sensitive lobe. Her body was on fire now, but then it always had been where he was concerned. She slid her hands under his shirt, needing to feel his skin beneath her hands. He pulled air into his lungs in a harsh breath.

"I want to make love to you, Neela," he said hoarsely. He lifted his head to look down at her, his eyes darkened with desire. "I need make love to you."

She searched his face for a moment, wondering when it was that she had fallen in love with him. Not that it mattered. She was here, in his arms, but not close enough for her liking. She wanted to feel his body against hers without any barriers. She wanted him to make love to her, because, somehow, she sensed that that's exactly what this was. What was happening now wasn't just sex, it was something far deeper and she couldn't deny herself any longer what she wanted. And what she wanted was him. All of him; mind, body, and soul.

Without a word, her eyes locked on his, she lifted his shirt to his chest. He helped, pulling it over his head and tossing it into a corner. Slowly, wanting to savor this moment, she ran her hands across his collarbone, down his smooth chest and across his stomach to the short hairs below his navel. He sucked in a breath as she lightly traced the waistband of his jeans, just grazing the skin with her fingernails. She glanced down as his stomach muscles contracted, her hand hesitating at the button. Lifting her eyes to his, she hoped that he could see in her eyes just how very much she loved him.

"Yes," she said simply. She couldn't say everything that was in her heart, not yet, but she could show him. She backed away toward his room, her hands working the buttons of her shirt. His eyes caught the motion and fixed there as he followed her. Suddenly, he pounced, lifting her with his hands on her bottom.

"I've waited too long for you already," he said harshly, before he slammed his mouth down on hers. She matched him in ferocity, wrapping her legs around his waist to hold him close. She moaned and writhed against him to ease the ache that had begun between her legs. The ache that only he could soothe.

They fell together on his bed in a tangle of limbs. She didn't even realize that he was undressing her or that he had undressed as well until she felt his calloused hand against her skin. She opened her eyes as he knelt beside her on the bed, staring at her with a hunger she would not have thought possible.

Ray felt his throat close up as he drank in the sight of her. He had imagined this moment a thousand times in a thousand different ways, but his dreams could never compare with the reality. Her dark hair was spread out on his pillow like a fan, and the look in her eyes as she watched him was more than he could have ever hoped for. With a hand that only slightly trembled, he traced the edges of her lips with his fingers, then down her chin, to the hollow of her throat. She hissed and arched into his hand as he lightly grazed one nipple with the palm of his hand. Unable to resist, he bent slowly to take it into his mouth, teasing with teeth and tongue.

"Ray…"

He smiled against her skin at the whispered plea, but he didn't stop until he had given his attention to both hardened peaks. He rose again and crawled down her body, softly nipping her skin, licking to ease the light bites, creating a line down the middle of her belly to her navel. His hands traveled lower, finding the triangle of dark hair between her legs. Her hands fisted in the pillow as he teased her with his fingers, then lowered his mouth to taste her.

She was going to die. She could see her death in the thousand stars that were suddenly dancing behind her closed lids. She could feel it in the scream that was ripped from her throat as she exploded into a thousand pieces under him. This had to be her end because nothing in her experience had ever felt like what Ray was doing to her. She was still trembling when he slid up her body to stare down into her eyes. The tender smile on his face was only a trace smug, but at that moment, she would have forgiven him anything.

"Ray, I don't…"

"Shh…" he said, placing a light kiss to her lips to silence her. "I'm not through with you yet, Neela."

She could only hang on in desperation as he slid into her, banishing any thought she might have had, any words she could have said.

Ray ducked his head to hide his face. He didn't want her to see how devastated he was by the feel of her beneath him, surrounding him with her sleek heat. His lip actually trembled as he felt her contract around him. He closed his eyes, hoping that he could make this last, praying that he wouldn't make a fool out of himself. But he gave it up as a lost cause with his first slow deep thrust. There could be no holding back with her. Not now. Not ever again. With each touch, with each kiss, he felt a little more of her seep into his blood until he wasn't sure where she began and he ended.

"Neela…" he whispered breathlessly, and groaned when she arched to meet him. "My God, Neela! I love you, so much…"

Then thought fled completely as she wrapped her legs around his waist to bring him deeper, ever deeper until he couldn't hold back anymore. With a hoarse growl, he came, feeling her explode around him again. He barely felt her nails as they dug into his back, and the sound of his name as she screamed out her release was nearly drowned out by the pounding of his heart in his ears. It was all he could do to keep from just breaking down. He lay there, braced on his elbows, listening to the sound of his heart slow, and felt at peace for the first time in his life. He felt her fingers gently combing through his hair and lifted his head to look down at her.

"Neela…" he began, and trailed off when the words would not come.

She smiled softly and pulled him down for a kiss. She leaned up and pressed her lips to his ear.

"You don't need to say it, Ray," she whispered, her breath brushing his ear. "I love you, too."

The air rushed from his lungs as her admission sank in. He searched her face, hoping that she really meant it. She smiled, and he closed his eye as relief slammed through him. There would be no more secrets between them, no more hesitation. He rolled to his back, pulling her with him, and she nestled against him without reservation. He stroked the soft skin of her back as she molded her body against his. Never before had he felt so calm, so at peace. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head, knowing that this was where he was supposed to be.

"Ray?" she whispered, and he felt her smile against his chest.

"Yes?"

She pushed herself up to grin down at him. The mischievous look in her eyes made him wonder what she was thinking.

"What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

He laughed and pulled her back down for another kiss.


	7. Chapter 7

_Well, friends, it's been a few days, but we have brought a new chapter! We realize that we forgot to add a little note at the beginning of the last chapter! From the responses we got, though, we are forgiven for the lapse. _:) _Thanks to everyone who posted reviews on Chapter Six. Trust us when we tell you that we were just as affected by writing it as you seemed to be reading it! (some more than others!) Now that we've rattled on for a minute, here's Chapter Seven! Please let us know what you think._

_Thanks,_

_JF&KMA_

7

Neela lay quietly in his arms, listening to the sound of his heartbeat. She closed her eyes and, for once in her life, just let herself live in the moment. There was no past, no future. There was only this moment with him. With his hands lightly stroking her back, her head tucked beneath his chin, there was nothing that could touch them. He loved her, and God knew that she loved him. She'd been running from her feelings for so long, but now, with him, she couldn't remember why she had ever denied them.

"Neela?"

"Yes?" she whispered back.

"We have to get up. Emily and Brett will be back soon."

She groaned and snuggled closer to him.

"And I have to talk to you before they get here," he added with a chuckle. He kissed her temple and untangled from her. She propped up on her elbows to watch as he pulled on boxers and sweats.

"What?" he asked, when he caught her looking.

She grinned and raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure we have to?" she asked suggestively. He laughed and crawled up the bed to kiss her deeply.

"Keep looking at me like that and we'll never leave here," he growled. He kissed her again then pulled away with a groan. "Come on, babe," he said as he rose and left the room.

Neela dressed, hating the fact that real life was intruding, but that was the way things went. If real life didn't intrude once in a while, no one would ever leave the bedroom. She pulled one of his shirts over her head, feeling the blood rush to her face. _Especially where Ray was concerned_, she thought. With that image in her head, she left the room to join him in the front room.

He handed her an open beer when she settled herself beside him on the couch.

"Thank you."

"No problem," he said, draping his arm across her shoulders. He took a drink before he continued. "Are you on duty tomorrow?"

"Yes, but not until 10."

He nodded. "I'm on at noon," he said ruefully. "I have to take Emily to the hospital anyway, but I was hoping she wouldn't have to be there all day."

"Why are you taking her to the hospital?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," he answered tightly, spinning his bottle in his hand. "I talked to Wendell today about Emily. She wants to see her."

Neela pulled back a little to look at him. He wouldn't look at her, but she could sense the turmoil within him.

"What did she say?" she asked slowly. "Did you tell her everything?"

He nodded, staring down at his bottle. Then he laughed sharply.

"It was one of the most painful experiences of my life, but I told her."

Neela drank, keeping her eyes on his face. "What made you think of her?"

His expression lightened and he gave her a half smile.

"Abby. She was tired of listening to me be an ass hole."

Neela laughed in spite of herself, and his smile turned sheepish.

"I damn near took Frank's head off when I went in today, and I guess I only got worse. Abby told me to talk to Wendell if it was that bad."

"It was a good idea, I gather?"

"I'm not sure yet," he said, his smile fading to a slight frown. "We'll have to see what happens."

Neela frowned in perplexity. "Wendell is a social worker. If there is even suspected abuse, she is required by law to report it."

"It's been reported before," he said bitterly.

She reached out to touch his arm. "This isn't Philadelphia," she said quietly.

He blew out a breath and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Emily told you?"

"Yes. And she told me that your father is a lawyer."

"Yet another thing that he and I never saw eye to eye on," he said, leaning his head on the back of the couch. "I was supposed to go to law school. Carry on in the family business. When I chose med school instead, he hit the roof. Luckily, I had scholarships so he couldn't yank the financial rug out from under me, but he wouldn't give me a dime for anything extra." He shook his head and brought the bottle to his lips. "Like I wanted anything from him."

Neela winced at his cold tone.

"Things are different now," she said soothingly. "This is Chicago, not Philadelphia. Wendell is very good at what she does. It won't be like it was."

He nodded, but seemed far from convinced.

"You know what the worst thing about it is?" he asked softly. "He's always had the money to get out of anything. I remember when the neighbors would call the cops after the shouting started. Dad would go to their house after the police left, talk to them for a minute and come home. The next thing you know, that neighbor had a new car or was going on vacation." The light in his eyes was dulled when he looked at her. "I learned really quick to just keep my mouth shut."

"What about your school?" she asked. "Surely one of your teachers would have…"

"I went to a private school," he broke in. "Very posh, very expensive. Do you think they would say anything against one of their richest clients?"

Neela could only stare at him, wishing she could take those horrible memories away. It tore her apart that she couldn't.

"Wendell was telling me about the laws that apply to this type of situation." He scrubbed at his head with his hand. "The man is a lawyer, Neela. He knows how to get around the legal crap." He laughed shortly. "Legal crap is what he does best."

He was silent for a long time. Neela let him have his silence, giving him time to gather his thoughts. She leaned back on the couch and rested her head on his shoulder, waiting patiently for him to continue.

"I'm scared, Neela," he finally whispered.

She turned her head to look at him, a hard weight settling in her stomach. Ray Barnett was admitting to fear? It drove home how very much he truly did love her. The fact that he could confess such a thing to her was more precious to her than any hollow flattery would ever be.

"What are you afraid of, Ray?"

"That he'll find a way to get out of this. That he'll take her back and make her suffer for what I've done." He paused, taking a deep breath. "I guess I'm just afraid that I won't …I'm afraid that I'll fail."

"Look at me, Ray," she ordered, scooting to the edge of the cushion. He looked at her in surprise at her harsh tone. "You won't fail," she continued and gave him a smile. "You have me, and you have friends at the hospital that would help if only you would let them. You have to learn to lean on someone other than yourself, you stubborn ass."

He searched her eyes for a moment before pulling her into his lap.

"You're one to talk," he said smartly. "Little Miss 'I can do it all by myself'."

"I can, most of the time," she shot back, pleased that her taunt had succeeded in drawing him out of his mood. She let him hold her against him and relaxed a little

"If this is really gonna happen…if I can pull it off and Emily stays," he continued, "I'll have to make some major changes. I'll have to enroll her in school here. I'll need to change shifts so that she's not alone here for too long."

"I'm sure that if you talk to Dr. Carter and explain the situation…"

"Oh yeah," he said sarcastically. "I'm looking forward to that little conversation."

She smiled and kissed his cheek. "It'll be fine."

Just then, the door opened up and Brett and Emily came bounding through like a couple of puppies. Neela scrambled off Ray's lap, but not before Brett had seen. He shot her a knowing look then grinned.

"So!" he said too brightly. "What have you two been up to? Did you…_talk_?"

Neela rolled her eyes and caught Ray's grin behind his hand.

"We came to an understanding," she said primly.

"An understanding," he echoed then shrugged. "Is that what they call it in England?"

The look she gave him should have shut him up, but of course he ignored it, swaggering across the room.

"Remind me to take a trip there someday…"

"Shut up, Brett," Ray said in warning. He turned, pinning Brett with his fiercest frown. Brett grinned a held his hands up to ward him off.

"You know I'm just giving you crap." He turned to look at Emily. "I'm outta here, Brat. You stay out of trouble."

She raised an eyebrow.

"I'm more worried about you than me," she said.

He laughed. "I'll catch your act tomorrow. Remember, Barnett, we've got a gig tomorrow night."

"Yeah."

With a muttered "later", he was gone, sweeping out just as he'd come in; like a hurricane. Neela couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief when the door closed behind him.

"Your friends," she said tiredly, rising to toss her empty bottle in the garbage.

"They're never dull," he offered, giving her a crooked grin.

"God forbid," she muttered, turning to Emily. "So what did you two get up to?"

"Angelo's," she said promptly. "It was great!" She looked at Ray and smiled. "You have some interesting friends."

Neela couldn't stop the laughter that burst from her.

"Just wait until they all show up here for their show tomorrow night. Then you'll see interesting."

Ray shot her a sour look, as Emily's brows furrowed in confusion.

"What's the joke?"

"Never mind," Ray said quickly. There would be time later to tell her exactly what kind of music he played. "Right now, you need to sit down. We need to talk about a few things."

She stiffened, but then found her way to the sofa. Falling back into the cushions, she gave him a sullen pout.

"What did I do?"

"You didn't do anything," he said in exasperation. "It's what you need to do." He glanced at Neela for support, and she sat on the arm of the couch beside him. "I have to take you to the hospital tomorrow," he said slowly.

"Why? I'm not sick."

Ray leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. By the panicked look on her face, he could tell that this was going to be even harder than he'd thought.

"I know you're not sick, honey. I'm not taking you there for that. There's someone I want you to talk to. I think that she can help us."

"Help us how?" she asked suspiciously.

"She can help us find a way to let you stay with me."

She relaxed a little, chewing at her lower lip.

"Who is she?"

He took a breath and braced himself for the storm that was about to drop on his head.

"She's a social worker with County."

"No! I'm not some basket case!" she cried out, jumping to her feet. "I don't need to talk to a shrink!"

"She's not a shrink! She's someone who investigates abuse cases. She can help you…help us. With her behind us, you'll be able to stay with me." He added the last with more confidence than he felt. He wasn't at all sure that she would be able to stay with him. There was a lot to do before he could even begin to have some assurance of that. At the moment, everything was too precarious for him to feel confident that he could keep her with him.

"Emily," Neela broke in, placing her hand on his shoulder. "What Ray means is that she will listen to you. She'll believe you... But you have to tell her the truth. Show her the bruise on your arm. She _will_ believe you."

Emily's gaze bounced from Ray to Neela and back again.

"She'll believe me?" she asked hesitantly, falling back onto the couch.

Ray nodded. "She believed me when I talked to her this afternoon." He scooted closer to her and gave her a hard hug. "This isn't Philly, squirt. He can't do here what he did there."

She took a deep breath before she looked at Neela.

"You think I should talk to this woman?"

Neela nodded gravely. "Yes, I do. It's the best and quickest way to have this done with." Neela wasn't sure that the happily ever after scenario was achievable, but it would allow Emily the opportunity to make it so. Ray had been dealing with the same demons for years and was only now allowing them to be exposed to the light of day. But if there was a way for this to turn out for the benefit everyone, then Wendell was the one tostart with.

Emily closed her eyes and lowered her head. They waited in silence while she considered what they had said. Ray forced air into his lungs when he found that he was holding his breath. Everything hinged on Emily. If she was hostile when she spoke to Wendell, it could all fall apart, and she would be shipped back to Philadelphia. He didn't want that. He wanted her to have what he'd never had, a real home.

"All right," she said softly, lifting her head to look at him. "If you say that she can help, then I'll believe you."

He pulled her close and gave her a hug.

"I'll be right there with you, sweetheart. All you have to do is tell the truth."

She nodded. "What about Neela?" she asked, and shot her a pleading look. "Will you be there, too?"

Neela glanced at Ray and their gazes locked. She furrowed her brows in question, and she could clearly read the answer in his eyes.

_I want you there, Neela…_

"I'll make the time," she answered firmly, and he gave her a grateful smile.

"We'll both be there every step of the way, Em," he promised. "Now why don't you try to get some sleep? It's late and we've got a long day tomorrow."

"It's not that late…" she began, then grinned, her eyes darting between the two of them. "OK. I get the hint." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek bounded from the couch. "Good night."

Ray sat there for a minute after she was gone just staring after her. He looked at Neela in confusion.

"What just happened?"

Neela laughed softly and took his hand.

"She's a teenager, Ray. Don't you remember being a teenager?" She paused, and then laughed harder. "You should. She acts just like you."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Really," he said dryly. "Are there any other little observations you would like to make about my behavior, Doctor?"

She hopped off the arm of the couch when he rose and began stalking her across the room. She grinned, backing away toward his bedroom.

"Only that I cannot believe that I'm in love with a man that wears black eyeliner."

"That's it," he growled, and vaulted over the couch. He drove in low, catching her around the middle and throwing her over his shoulder. He kicked the door shut as he took her into his room and dropped her on the bed. They were both laughing as he fell down on top of her, but their laughter quickly faded as he began to kiss her, leaving them both breathless.

"By the way…" he began, nuzzling her throat.

"Yes?" she breathed.

"You forgot that I wear black nail polish too." He lifted his head to give her that puppy dog look that always got to her. "Do you still love me?"

She smiled and pulled him back down, giving himher answer in her kiss.


	8. Chapter 8

_Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! We know it's been a while since we last updated. Please forgive us. You know how reality can intrude on a beautiful dream. lol Anyway, here is Chapter Eight of our story. We hope that you enjoy it and tell us what you think._

_Thanks again!_

_butterflyswest and Erin Allen_

8

"Tell me again why we have to walk?" Emily grumbled for what seemed like the millionth time. Ray shot a quelling glance Neela's way and scowled when she raised an eyebrow.

"Because we always take the train," he said for the millionth time that morning. "Its cheaper than a car, and walking is good for you."

"If you say so, Doctor Sadistic, but freezing my butt off was not on the itinerary this morning."

Ray stopped, turning on his heel to point a finger at her. There were so many things he wanted to say, but he clamped his jaw over all of them, spun around, and kept walking with his hands jammed in his pockets. She'd done nothing but grumble since she had been informed that they would walk to the station. He didn't blame her for complaining. It _was_ friggin cold, but he'd be damned if he let her see that he was just as uncomfortable. Neela was no help either, alternating between fits of laughter at Emily's grousing and knowing smirks thrown at him. Between the two of them, it was enough to make him nuts.

When the train finally came, he was just glad to be out of the cold. Or rather, he was glad that his sister had something to distract her. She gaped at everything as if she'd never seen anything like it before. _She hasn't,_ he reminded himself. Their home life was much different than anything he had come to think of as normal. His father didn't believe in public transportation. Not for the children of John Barnett. That was for the dregs of society, the paupers. Ray settled his elbow on the armrest and his chin in his hand. He glanced at Emily who was chattering like a little magpie, and wondered if he actually thought he could outwit a man who drove a hundred thousand dollar car.

"Are you all right?" Neela asked softly from his left.

"Fine," he said too quickly, and her expression grew skeptical. He put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a reassuring squeeze. "I'm fine," he lied. "I just didn't think that teenagers went from smart ass to twenty questions so fast."

She tilted her head to give him another odd look, but then shook her head. He was hiding something. She could feel it in the sudden tension around him, but she couldn't call him on his bluff. Not right here with Emily listening.

"You had better get used to it," she said dryly. "When this is all settled, that is all you will be listening to."

He grimaced, but some of the anxious energy she was feeling from him drained away.

"Don't remind me," he muttered. "I don't think I was like this when I was her age."

"You were likely taller," Neela said smartly, earning a laugh from him.

"Between the two of you, I'm gonna be insane," he said, kissing the top of her head. The train was slowing at their stop, and he rose, pulling her up beside him. "Come on you two. We have a lot to do today."

They left the El and walked the few blocks to County. The weak winter sunlight was just beginning to seep between the buildings that lined the streets, though it was long past sunrise. Ray pulled his coat close to his chin to drive away the bitter wind that kicked up pellets of dirty snow in his face. _Windy City my ass_, he thought to himself as he ducked through the ER doors. Neela and Emily darted in behind him, sighing with relief at the warmth that hit their wind-stung cheeks.

"What are you doing here?" Morris asked in his usual tactless manner. He glanced at his watch. "You're not on for another four hours."

"We'll wait for you at the lift," Neela said, shooting Morris a disdainful look. "Good morning to you, too, Morris," she said crisply as she wove her way to the elevators with Emily.

Morris gaped at her, then at Emily. "Where is she going? And who's the girl?" He grinned then, giving Ray a deliberate wink. "A little young for you don't you think, Barnett?"

Ray clamped down on the sudden urge to smash him through a window. Idiotic as he was, Morris couldn't know that Emily was his sister. He was also Ray's boss, and, the last he knew, throwing your boss through a window was still illegal.

"Don't worry about her, Morris," Ray bit out, brushing past him. "I'm not on until noon. I'll be back then."

"Okay," Morris said. His tone implied that he was being gracious enough to humor Ray in his illusions. "I get the message."

Ray paused to glower at him, gritting his teeth. "And what message is that?"

Morris threw up his hands and backed away, a small knowing smile on his face.

"Nothing. Nothing at all." He turned, pointing back at Ray. "See you back here at noon, Barnett."

Ray waited until he was gone, rolled his eyes and went to the end of the hall to join Neela and Emily at the elevators. Neela narrowed her eyes at him.

"What was that all about?" she asked.

Ray punched the button as if he wanted to jam it through the wall. He shook his head.

"I think he was implying that Emily's my new girlfriend," he said tightly.

"Ooo…" Emily squeaked in disgust. "That's not even funny!" She gave Ray an odd look, turning a little green. "What kind of people do you work with, Ray?"

"Sick ones," he grumbled, as the doors opened, spilling passengers into the hallway. Ray let Neela hit the button that would take them to the right floor before he damaged the thing. He was already nervous about this meeting, and Morris's crap hadn't helped ease that strain.

"I don't understand how he ever made Chief Resident," Neela said in exasperation, as the lift began to rise. "He has the mental capacity of pocket lint."

Ray grinned, wondering if he should tell her about the day Morris had toyed with the idea of analyzing lint, but decided against it. That was something he would keep to himself for a rainy day. Like the next time Morris decided to speak.

When the doors slid open, Ray led Emily to Wendell's office at the end of the hall. The silver sliding plaque discreetly spelled out her name and title. Ray reached for the door handle, but Emily pulled him back with a hand on his arm.

"Wait, Ray," she said in a small voice. "I don't know if I can do this."

"Do what?" he asked in confusion.

"I don't know this person," she said urgently. "What if she tells someone what I said? You know how Dad gets when he thinks we told."

Ray and Neela exchanged looks. Neela felt her heart clench at the near panic in his eyes. If Emily wouldn't talk to Wendell, then this would be over before it had begun. Neela bit her lip, unsure of precisely what to do. Neither one of them could force Emily to say a word, but if she didn't, it was back to Philadelphia. Just as Ray opened his mouth to speak, the door opened behind him, and Wendell stepped out. The warm smile on her face slipped a notch when she saw them. Neela wondered what she saw through her trained eyes. Ray, stiff and tense with anxiety; Emily near tears. _And me_, she thought dryly. _The odd one out. _

"You're early," Wendell continued looking at Ray, her smile widening once again. "That's actually good because I had a cancellation this morning." She turned to Emily and held out her hand. "I'm Dr. Meade, and you must be Emily."

Emily stared at her hand for a long moment before she reluctantly took it.

"I'm Emily," she said softly, as if she hadn't been talking almost nonstop since dawn.

"Would you like to come into my office, Emily?" Wendell asked, stepping aside. Her brow furrowed with concern when Emily took a step back. "I'm not going to bite," she said gently.

Emily shot Ray a look of near panic. "I can't do this," she whispered. "Please, Ray…"

"Emily, I explained all of this to you," he said with as much patience as he could muster. "I'll go in with you if that's what you want."

"I really need to speak with Emily alone, Dr. Barnett," Wendell broke in. "I know how you feel about the situation. Now I need to hear it from her." She gave him a slight frown when he opened his mouth to argue. "These things are delicate, Ray. I need to speak with her alone."

He shot Neela a wild look, and she stepped forward to avert disaster. Not only was Emily turning suddenly obstinate, but now Ray was being asked to leave her alone.

"Ray promised her that he would stay, Dr. Meade," she broke in. "We both told her that we would be here for her."

Wendell looked from Neela to Ray and back again. A slight smile crossed her lips and was gone before she turned to Emily.

"Will you speak in with me if I let Neela come with you?"

Emily glanced at Neela then at Ray. His face darkened with frustration.

"I'm her brother…"

"You are too close to this to be objective," Wendell said firmly. "I'll want to speak with you again later. Right now, however, I need to speak with Emily alone."

Neela touched his arm, and he turned his attention from Wendell to her. She could feel his irritation in every breath and was proud of his control.

"Perhaps it would be best if you spoke with Dr. Carter now," she told him quietly. "This is the perfect time. I'll stay with her."

He blew out a heavy breath and looked at his sister. She looked so scared, so alone. It caught him around the heart in a way that was almost painful. He didn't want to leave her here. Not when he'd promised that he would stay by her side, help her through it. But Neela would be here. It suddenly struck him how much he was coming to think of her as his family. Without her, he would be lost, floundering. She had turned to him just when he needed her, when the ghosts of his past had come to haunt him the most. She was here, now, offering more. All he wanted at that moment was to pull her close and never let her go. Something of what he was thinking must have shown through, because she suddenly blushed and gave him a small smile.

"Thank you," he said softly.

"Go. We'll be fine," she told him, looking at Emily.

Ray turned, pulling Emily into a hard hug.

"Just tell the truth, squirt. Wendell is only trying to help us," he told her.

She nodded against his chest then pulled away. "Will you be here when I'm done?"

"If I can be," he answered reluctantly. "If I'm not, then Neela will bring you down to the ER to find me."

She nodded, and Ray glanced at Neela.

"I'll see you later?" he asked. She nodded with a smile. God, how he loved her smile! As he passed, he brushed her hand with the backs of his fingers, discreetly trying to convey how much he loved her. Her blush and the heat that spread through him at the simple contact was enough for him. He reluctantly turned toward the elevators to find Dr. Carter.

He wasn't looking forward to this conversation either. It had become a joke around the ER that Ray Barnett would find any excuse possible to get out of a shift. It was damn near impossible for him to lock down either Kerrie Weaver or Carter for any kind of talk. It was true that he had asked for a lot of time off when he'd first started, but he'd always found someone to cover for him. _It would be just my luck_, he thought as the doors slid open on the ER hall, _the one time I have a serious problem to talk about, they won't listen._

He stepped out of the lift and snagged the first nurse that came by, asking where Dr. Carter was.

"I think he's in the lounge," she said, her arms full of supplies. "I'm not sure, though. You want me to page him?"

"Nah, Inez, you look like you're busy enough. I'll take care of it."

She shrugged and hustled away without another word. Ray took a deep breath and headed for the lounge.

Ray was surprised to actually find him there. Usually, Carter could be counted on to be everywhere at once. The man was uncanny in that he would show up just when you didn't have the slightest clue as to what to do. Ray actually cringed at some of those memories, then shook his head and shoved through the door. _Fortune rewards the bold…_

"Dr. Carter, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Carter kept his eyes on the chart in front of him, turning a page before he spoke.

"What is it this time, Dr. Barnett? A week in the Bahamas for a rock festival?" He glanced up and raised his eyebrows. "Did the band get invited to Lollapalooza?"

Ray ground his teeth and forced a laugh.

"No, nothing like that. I've got a problem that I need to talk to you about."

Carter's eyes narrowed and he sat back in his seat. His eyes scanned Ray's face for a long moment, before he motioned to the seat beside him.

"Have a seat."

Ray took the offer and sat across from him at the table. He couldn't help but fidget as Carter's eyes bored into him. He'd always felt a little uncomfortable around John Carter; as if he were trying to live up to some expectation that he didn't even know existed.

"What kind of trouble are you in?" Carter asked calmly. "And don't tell me nothing, because you have that look on your face."

"Look?"

"Yes," Carter said with a slight smile. "That look that says 'I screwed up, fix it'. So what's the trouble?"

Ray shot him a guilty look. "I didn't think I was that bad."

"You aren't," Carter laughed. "But you do look like you're about to fall apart. So spill it, Barnett."

Ray took a deep breath and rested his elbows on the tabletop. As he began to speak, he felt as if a weight were being lifted from his chest. In the span of two days, he had told more people about his past than he'd confessed to in three years. So far, lightning hadn't struck him; no one had come out of the woodwork to beat him senseless. He suddenly felt free in a way that he had never felt before. And, most importantly, the people he had confessed to believed him. By the time he was finished speaking, Carter was leaning forward, a slight frown on his face.

"And you called your mother?" he asked.

"She pretended that nothing was wrong," Ray said bitterly.

"And your sister is talking to Wendell right now?"

"Yes. Neela is with her."

Carter sighed and shook his head.

"I tell you, Ray. I've heard some stories that would make you want to cry, but yours just pisses me off."

Ray felt his heart drop to his stomach only to rise to his throat to choke him. His hope suddenly died. He had been an idiot to think that anyone…

"What do you need, Ray? Time off? A lawyer? Whatever it is, I'll see what I can do for you."

"W-what?"

"I'll do everything I can to help you," Carter repeated slowly with a smile. "What? Did you think that I wouldn't believe you?"

"Actually, yes," Ray admitted sheepishly.

Carter smiled. "You and I have had some differences, Barnett. I ride you hard because I see your potential. I'd hate to lose you because of this or any other reason. Now, what do you need?"

Ray slumped back in his seat and rubbed the back of his neck with a grimace.

"I'm not sure yet," he admitted. "Most of it is in Wendell's hands right now."

"Let me make some phone calls," Carter told him. "I'll see what can be done from a legal standpoint. What I do know is that you'll need help if your father is as well off as you say he is. You can't fight him in court on your salary."

Ray laughed at Carter's attempt at humor. Nothing about this situation was funny, but it was either laugh or go crazy.

"Give me a day," Carter said, pushing to his feet with his hands on the table. "We'll get this taken care of."

Ray nodded and rose to his feet beside him.

"Listen, Dr. Carter. I just want to say thanks," he said quietly, holding out his hand.

Carter grinned and shook his hand. "Remember that the next time I need you to work a weekend," he said.

Just then, the door to the hall burst open and Inez skidded to a halt just inside it. Ray felt his stomach drop at the shocked look in her brown eyes.

"Doctors! We just got the call on a trauma. GSW five minutes out."

Carter and Ray leapt forward, following her out as she ran from the room. Carter immediately began shouting orders to prepare Trauma One. He turned to Frank.

"What are the vitals?"

Frank got on the radio, and Carter listened intently as the paramedic listed off the vitals of the incoming patient. Ray spun away from the desk, grabbing up a trauma gown as he went to the ambulance bay. Within seconds, Carter was beside him.

"You're not on for a while," he remarked. "Are you sure you want to start already?"

Ray nodded grimly. "Better now than later. I'd rather be busy than sit around thinking of everything that's going on upstairs."

Carter nodded, his eyes on the ambulance that was just then pulling into the bay, its lights flashing, sirens winding down to silence. The doors slammed open, and he stepped forward with Ray on his heels.

00000000

"Are you feeling better?" Neela asked as she handed Emily a tissue. The girl sniffled and nodded, wiping her eyes.

"Yeah," she said half surprised. "It wasn't as bad as I thought it was gonna be." She glanced at Neela and gave a watery smile. "She believed me."

Neela's heart cracked at the proud astonishment in that statement. She nodded, pushing the button on the elevator to bring it to them.

"We'll come back in a day or so to talk to the police," she said as the doors opened with a whoosh. "You'll swear out a statement, and you'll be one step closer to what you want."

Emily smiled shyly. "Thank you, Neela. Thanks for staying with me."

"You're welcome."

They were silent for a long moment as the lift descended. Neela was thinking of what she had heard in Wendell's office. It was worse than she had at first thought. The whole poisonous tale had left a bad taste in her mouth and left her gut churning. It drove home just how lucky she was to have parents that drove her crazy because they loved her. She was so deep in thought that she almost missed Emily's next words.

"Are you gonna marry Ray?"

"What?" Neela asked, shocked.

"You're good for him," the girl said, her face turning red. "And you're obviously more than just roommates." She shrugged. "I was just asking."

"That's complicated," Neela stammered as the lift came to a slow halt and the doors opened to chaos. Shouting and the sound of running feet greeted them as they stepped from the tiny compartment, and Neela frowned.

"Emily, go to the lounge," she ordered urgently. "Just down that hall. It's the second door on the left…"

"Where are you going?"

Neela turned her toward the lounge with a hand on her shoulder.

"Just go," she said kindly. "It looks like there's a trauma. I've got to see if I can help."

"But, Ray said…"

"Ray is likely helping right now," Neela broke in. "He'll be along shortly."

Emily sighed, looking sullen, but she moved down the hall. Neela grabbed up a trauma gown on her way to Trauma One. Glancing in, all she could see was blood and a score of doctors in scrubs. She pushed her way through the doors.

"Do you need any help in here?" she called loudly.

Carter didn't even glance up as he fitted a tube down the patient's throat.

"Go to Two and see if Ray does. We're almost finished with this one."

Neela cut through the trauma room and slammed through the doors to Trauma Two.

"What have you got, Ray?" she asked as she eased past nurses to the table. There was blood everywhere and the pulse ox monitor was screaming at them.

"Where's Emily?" he asked, his eyes narrowed.

"She's in the lounge," Neela answered.

"I've got multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen. I can't get this guy stabilized enough to go up to the OR. Every time I have him, he starts to crash again."

Neela quickly assessed the injuries. Two shots to the chest, both on the right side. Certainly lung damage, and possibly damage to a major vessel. The two to the bellymost likely hadhit the liver if not every other major organ as thebulletsbounced around inside.

"You're going to need a chest tube," she said as she ran for the equipment.

"Haven't had the time," Ray said in frustration. "This guy's bleeding from every goddamn pore it seems."

"Pulse down to fifty," Sam called out as the monitor began to whine again.

"Damn it! Get another unit of O neg and get the crash cart ready just in case." He glanced at Neela as she returned with the tube. "I've got to intubate."

"I've got this," she answered, already beginning to cut an opening for the tube.

Ray ordered the succs and took the number 8 tube that Sam slapped into his gloved hand. He was just inserting the tube when he felt someone watching him. He glanced up and found his sister at the door, staring at the blood with wide frightened eyes. He froze, unsure of what to do. Then her eyes locked with his and some of the fear in her eyes disappeared. She gave him a small sick smile, and backed out of the room. Every nerve in his body told him to follow her, explain what she had seen, and tell her that everything would be all right. He glanced at Neela to see if she had noticed Emily's appearance. She nodded in answer to his unspoken question.

"If you want to go, Ray…"

Just then, the patient seized, the monitors going haywire as his body convulsed. Ray forgot about leaving. There was no one else. Neela was an excellent doctor, but even she couldn't do this on her own. He shoved the vision of his sister's face from his thoughts and paid attention to what he was doing.

Thirty minutes later, he stood in the hallway as the surgical team wheeled the patient away to the OR. He didn't want to move, he was so exhausted.

"That your patient?" Carter asked from his left.

Ray could only nod.

"You kept him alive long enough for surgery," Carter said. "That's all you can do for him right now."

Ray glanced at him.

"Maybe. But my sister came in while I was working on him."

Carter raised an eyebrow. "Don't you think you'd better go explain things to her?"

Ray nodded slowly and turned as Neela pushed through the Trauma room doors. Her gaze came to rest on Carter and then bounced back to him.

"Do you want me to…" she began, glancing toward the lounge.

"No. I've got it. How did things go?"

She raised an eyebrow at Carter.

"I already told him," Ray said.

She smiled and nodded approval.

"She did very well. Wendell thinks there is a good chance of her staying"

Ray blew out a relieved breath.

"I'd better go talk to her. She came in to the trauma room when we were working."

"I know."

Carter clapped him on the shoulder. "I'll make those calls now," he said, starting down the hall. He turned, walking backward, and smiled. "You did good, Doctor."

Ray watched him for a minute before he headed for the lounge. Neela fell in beside him and took his hand.

"What did he mean by that?" she asked, unaware of his surprise. She had reached out to him again, this time at work. In full view of everyone. He decided to say nothing about the gesture, afraid that if he did, she would pull away.

"He's going to help me get a lawyer," he told her quietly. "He's going to rearrange my shifts, too, so Emily doesn't have to stay at that apartment by herself all the time."

Neela gave him a little nudge and grinned up at him. "Didn't I tell you that talking to him would be a good idea?"

He chuckled. "Yes, nag, you did."

"I don't nag," she said defensively. "It's not nagging if it works out."

He laughed and pushed open the lounge door. Immediately, he sobered when he saw Emily's tearstained face. He quickly crossed the room to kneel on the floor in front of her.

"What is it?"

She sniffed hard.

"I didn't know that you were that kind of doctor," she said in a choked voice.

"What kind of doctor?" he asked in confusion.

"Like out of some TV show. You like, saved that guy?"

Ray sighed. "He's in surgery right now. I don't know anything other than that."

"But he lived because of you." She glanced at Neela who stood just inside the doorway. "And you too."

Ray looked at Neela, feeling a smile tug at the corners of his mouth.

"What kind of doctor did you think I was?" he asked, struggling to keep the laughter from his voice.

"I don't know," she answered. "I didn't think you worked well with needles, so…"

Ray raised an eyebrow and shook his head. He didn't want to even look at Neela who he knew would be laughing. His aversion to needles was another joke around the hospital that he would never live down. With a growl, he reached out and snatched her up.

"Making fun of me now, squirt?"

She started laughing as he locked her head under his arm.

"Can't you control yourself until your shift ends, Barnett?"

Ray turned to find Morris in the doorway, staring at him with an odd smile on his face. He let Emily go and crossed his arms over his chest.

"This is my sister, Morris."

"Right. Your sister. I guess it's your story. You can tell it any way you want," he said as he crossed to the coffee machine.

"You don't know a damn thing about me, Morris," Ray said dangerously.

Morris stirred his coffee as he turned that vapid little smile on Emily.

"What is there to know?" he asked. "You're in a band and…"

Ray took a step toward the little weasel. Neela ran across the room to stand between them, on hand on Ray's chest.

"What seems to be the problem, doctors?"

Morris was the first to speak. Ray clamped his lips together to stave off the wave of hostility that washed through him.

"I was just asking Ray about his new girlfriend," Morris said in that whining voice that always grated on Ray's nerves.

Carter glanced at Neela, but she shook her head, angling her head toward Emily, who was watching all of this as if it was a scene playing out on the television.

"You must be Ray's sister, Emily," Carter said, striding forward with his hand outstretched. She took it more from surprise than anything. Morris's mouth dropped open in shock and he looked at Ray for confirmation.

"She's really your sister?" he asked incredulously. "I always thought…"

"Don't think, Morris," Carter snapped. "Unless it has to do with patient care, you should really learn to shut up."

Morris's face turned crimson, but he shut his mouth as Carter handed Ray a slip of paper.

"Call this number in the morning before your shift. He's expecting your call."

"Thanks, Carter."

"Anything else, you let me know."

Ray nodded, and Carter left the lounge with one last scowl at Morris. Morris backed away, following Carter.

"I'm sorry, Ray. I just assumed that she…I mean that you are…"

"Shut up, Morris," Neela snapped.

"Right, well, I'll just leave you all alone then," he muttered as he backed out the door.

Emily turned to Ray with her eyebrows raised.

"Who is that?"

"Dr. Morris, the Chief Resident here at County."

She glanced at the door then back at him.

"He has a medical degree?"

"I think so," Ray said, swallowing his laughter. "The jury's still out on that one."

She shook her head and flopped back down on the sofa. "They must really be desperate," she said dryly.


	9. Chapter 9

_Here we are again, folks! I know some of you have been waiting for this next chapter. Its been a week or so, so we hope that you'll forgive us for that. Again, Life happens and sometimes you just have to roll with it. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. We really do appreciate all the feedback we get from those who read our work. So, here is Chapter Nine. Let us know if you like it!_

_Thanks so much,_

_butterflyswest and Erin Allen_

9

Neela jogged a few steps to keep up with Ray, though she wanted to drop. Even though she'd left early, she still felt as though she had worked a full shift and then some. The stresses of the day weighed on her. Emily's story and more traumas than she could ever remember coming in had taken their toll on her energy reserves. She scowled at Ray's back as he walked ahead of them.

"You know you could have some thought to the short legged people back here," she called out sullenly.

He paused and glanced sheepishly over his shoulder.

"Sorry. I just don't want to be late for my gig."

"Screw your gig," Neela muttered under her breath as she and Emily caught up with him.

"I heard that," he said, speed walking ahead of them again.

"You really should think about getting a car, Ray," Emily puffed out. "Then you wouldn't have to worry about being…"She paused, shooting Neela a look. "A gig? What gig?"

"Didn't Brett tell you? His band has a show tonight." Neela looked at her curiously. "What did you and Brett talk about last night?"

Emily shrugged. "Sex."

Ray spun around, his face lax with shock, and nearly fell on his ass trying to walk backward.

"What did you say?" he yelled. Then he saw her wide grin and groaned. "I'm going to kill you one of these days."

Neela bit her lip as he turned around and stormed up the steps to their apartment building. She glanced at the girl beside her.

"You really shouldn't do that to him," she said with a chuckle. "He's not used to it from anyone but me."

"But it's so much fun," Emily said mildly as she opened the door and stepped inside.

There was no sign of Ray as they climbed the stairs. The hard beat and whine of heavy metal music slammed into them as they reached their floor, and Emily glanced at her in confusion. Neela suppressed the urge to laugh in anticipation. She knew what to expect when they reached the apartment. She had seen it many times before, but for Emily this was all new. She didn't even mind the mess she knew she would have to clean up after they left. She wanted to see Emily's face when she saw Ray in all his rocker glory.

As expected, the "boys" were all there, arranged around the living room like lazy dogs, some with their feet up on the coffee table, one was lying on the floor playing some video game and screaming at the animated players on the screen, and Brett was lounging in the easy chair, his legs thrown over one arm.

"Dr. Neela!" he called out, and Neela raised one eyebrow at him as the rest called out greetings or lifted beers in salute.

"How many times do I have to ask you to keep your legs off the arm of the chair?" she said in a bored tone, stepping over the game player to turn down the stereo.

"About a thousand," she mouthed as he said the same thing.

"Maybe at one thousand and one you'll listen?" she asked, and he laughed. He shifted his gaze to Emily.

"Hey there, Brat! Don't tell me that these two dragged you to that boring ass hospital all day."

When Emily didn't answer, Neela turned to look at her and stifled her snort with a cough. The girl looked as if someone had clubbed her over the head. She was staring at the guys like she'd never seen them before, though she'd met them two days before. But then, she'd only seen their day faces. She hadn't yet experienced a gig night.

"You'll get used to it or go crazy," Neela said, walking past her to drop her bag to the floor. Emily shot her a startled glance. "I haven't decided which way I'm going yet."

Emily looked at her as if she had lost her mind and glanced around the room.

"If you're looking for Ray, he's back in the bathroom getting ready," Brett said, strolling toward them. Emily turned and bolted down the hall, and Brett grinned crookedly at Neela.

"I'm not gonna miss this," he said, following in Emily's wake. Neela trailed along, for once in total agreement with Ray's band mate. There was no way she was going to miss this.

"What are you _doing_?" Emily said, her tone one of utter astonishment. Neela heard Brett laugh and edged past him as he fell back against the wall, holding his sides. She gave him a disgusted look.

"You'd better stop or your makeup will run," she told him sourly. He slid down the wall and kept laughing. Neela shook her head and turned her attention on Emily and Ray.

Emily's mouth was hanging open in shock as she stared through the open door of the bathroom. Neela looked in and raised an eyebrow. It wasn't anything she hadn't seen before, though each time was still a little strange. Ray was sitting on the edge of the tub, an open bottle of black nail polish on the lid of the toilet. He'd already gelled and spiked his hair into angles that hair was never intended to go. He looked at Neela in mute appeal, the nail polish applicator still in his hand. The dark eyeliner around his eyes seemed bizarre in the cool white light from above the bathroom mirror. With the black sleeveless shirt and the tight jeans, the full picture was…oddly seductive. Neela felt the blood rush to her face at that thought.

"Neela, help me out here. I can't get this…"

"Ray, what are you doing?" Emily asked again. "Are you…?"

Neela pasted a look of innocence on her face and looked away when he scowled at her.

"Yes, I'm wearing eyeliner, OK? Its part of the show."

"What kind of music do you play?" Emily asked shortly. "I thought KISS went out years ago."

Behind them, Brett squawked laughter, gasping for air, and Neela kicked him to shut him up. As expected, he just kept it up. She glanced back and found him laying fully on the floor now, his arms around his middle. She rolled her eyes and looked away.

"They're a punk band," she told the girl. "Like I said, you'll get used to it or you'll go nuts."

"Thanks, Neela, for your input," Ray said flatly. "Now will you help me? I don't have a lot of time here."

Emily beat her to it, entering the room and snatching up the brush and bottle. She sat on the toilet lid and glared at him expectantly.

"Lay your hand on my knee," she ordered. When he complied, she began to paint his nails black. "You know, you could have warned me," she said finally. "Instead of letting me come home to the circus."

"They are a bunch of animals aren't they?" Neela shot out from the doorway. She grinned at Ray when he gave her a resentful look. Then he grinned back, his eyes showing clearly that he would get back at her later. Heat flooded her body at the seductive look in those hazel eyes. She began to tingle from the tips of her toes to her head, imagining what he would do to her for this bit of business.

_Bloody hell, _she thought with wonder. _I'm turning into a groupie._

But she only went for the lead man.

She turned to look down at Brett, whose laughter had tapered to odd snorts and giggles. He'd finally managed to sit up and was leaning against the wall with his knees to his chest.

"Enjoying yourself?" Neela asked sarcastically.

"Quite a bit, actually," he answered with another burst of laughter. "I haven't seen anything so funny since my brother fell into the lake skateboarding."

Neela opened her mouth to ask, but changed her mind. She was pretty sure that he would tell her if she asked, and she was equally sure that she didn't really want to know.

"Help me up?"

She raised an eyebrow at his innocent expression.

"It's the least you can do after you kicked me," he said, batting black eyelashes.

"Deal with disappointment," she said, her lips twitching with the beginnings of a smile.

"Ooohh…Dr. Neela!" he said, looking wounded. He pushed to his feet, steadying himself against the wall. "Whatever happened to the Hippocratic Oath?"

"I'm off duty," she shot back, giving in to her grin.

He put his hands over his heart with a dramatic look of hurt. He stuck his head in the door.

"Ray, your girl just denied me medical attention."

"Just try to stay alive until after the show," Ray said without interest, though the smile he flashed at Neela was full of amusement.

"Well, all right," Brett said, not the least bit disturbed by any of it. "I know when I'm not wanted."

He turned and started back down the hall, only to turn on one heel and come back.

"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. There was someone here looking for you, Ray."

"Who was it?" Ray asked, finally emerging from the bathroom.

"I don't know. He didn't give me his name. He was dressed really slick though."

Ray froze, shooting Neela a wary look.

"What do you mean slick?"

"You know. Armani suit. Cufflinks. Shiny shoes. Why?" he asked with a frown, suddenly sensing the tension that had come over them. "What's up?"

"What exactly did he say, Brett?"

"He asked if you were home…no, actually he said he was looking for you and Emily."

Neela felt the color drain from her face, and she placed her hands flat against the wall behind her to steady herself. No one but Carter, Wendell and the few nurses at the hospital knew that Emily was here. Only one other person could have guessed that this might be where she had come.

Their father.

Neela looked at Ray and saw a muscle in his jaw twitch. His eyes blazed with anger.

"What did you tell him?" he asked tightly.

"I didn't know who he was, so I told him that you weren't here."

"What did you say about Emily?"

Brett narrowed his eyes. "Do you think I'm stupid? I told him that I didn't know who he was talking about."

Ray blew out a breath in relief. Brett wasn't stupid. He sometimes didn't think before he spoke, but he wasn't stupid. Even so, this changed everything. He glanced back into the bathroom at Emily. Thankfully, she was occupied looking through the medicine cabinet, shaking her head with a confused look on her face. He turned back and looked at Neela, who was watching his reaction with wide eyes.

"We can't say anything to her," he said in a low voice. "I don't want to scare her."

She nodded.

"I'm going to have to stay home tonight. I can't…"

"Wait! What are you talking about? We need you there, man!" Brett stammered.

"I can't leave Emily and Neela alone here."

Neela frowned.

"I can take care of myself, Ray."

He grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her into his arms, holding her tight.

"I know you can, but I don't want to take any chances." He lowered his head to whisper in her ear. "I don't want to lose you."

Her breath caught in her throat at the naked emotion she heard in his voice. She lifted her eyes to his and was taken aback by the sheer worry she saw there. She reached up to touch his cheek.

"I'm fine," she said softly.

"Oh God! Not again," Emily said as she came out of the bathroom. Neela glanced over and couldn't help but laugh. The girl was waving her hands in the air, the nails painted black. Ray glanced at her and scowled.

"Do you know how hard that stuff is to find?" he asked sharply.

She glowered right back.

"Yeah, Ray. It's a bare market, what with the Goth scene in full swing. I didn't use that much." She blew on her nails and looked at the three of them. "So, when do we leave?"

Ray opened his mouth to tell her that they weren't leaving, but Neela cut him off.

"That's not a bad idea, Ray," she said slowly. "If we go with you, then you won't miss the gig."

"Neela…"

"You love what you do. You know you need the money. And you won't be there worrying about us all night."

He frowned and glanced at Brett. "Do you think they'd let her in since she's my sister?"

Brett shrugged. "Not sure. I don't see why not. We've just got to make sure that she stays backstage." He smiled. "It wouldn't look good if Barnett here got picked up for contributing to the delinquency of a minor." He raised his eyebrows. "Would it, Barnett?"

Neela looked away from them all, unable to hide the smile that came to her face. The incident with Zoë was still good for a chuckle at Ray's expense, though what had happened after was not. Neela's smile dried up, and she looked up at Ray. Would he have to fight another enraged father before all of this was done?

She bloody hoped not.

"That's it," she said firmly. "We're going. Just let me change."

"Neela…"

"Make it quick, Dr. Neela," Brett said, cutting Ray off. "Come on, Barnett. We've gotta move."

He left them then, returning to the living room where the sounds of the guys gathering up their things could now be heard.

Ray looked down at Neela.

"Are you sure you want to go?" he asked.

"If it will make you feel better," she said. "Besides, don't you want Emily to see you in action?"

"Less blood this time, please," his sister piped up.

"Go get your coat, squirt," Ray growled. She smiled and walked down the hall, testing her nails to see if they were dry yet.

"You are amazing," he whispered, dipping his head close. When he kissed her, Neela was tempted to take back everything she had just said and just stay at home for the next week. Preferably in bed.

"I'm gonna make this all up to you," he said softly against her lips.

She smiled, slipping her arms around his waist.

"I can think of a few ways," she said in a low voice. "But you don't have to make anything up to me, Ray. I love you. I'll do everything I can for you."

He grinned, liking the way she was being with him, how easily she had turned to him. If this was what it was to have Neela's love, he couldn't believe that he'd waited so long to tell her how he felt.

"I love you," he said, holding her tight against him. He nearly came out of his skin at the feel of her body against his, her breasts pressed against him. For a moment, he was tempted to just tell the guys to leave without him, but he squashed it. He was part of the band. They were counting on him to be there.

"We'd better go," he said reluctantly, and she nodded against his chest. "We'll continue this later," he promised, pulling away from her. He smiled at the blush thatstained her cheeks.

Brett cleared his throat, and they both turned to look at him.

"If you two love-birds are finished, then we do have a gig to get to. Your sister is just about foaming at the mouth to leave."

"We're coming," Ray said.

Brett opened his mouth, but Neela cut him short with a look.

"You don't have to just spout out whatever comes into your head you know," she snapped, brushing by him.

He grinned.

"But that's why I'm so loved!"


	10. Chapter 10

_Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! We really appreciate all the feedback we get from everyone. Now, we know that after the last chapter, everyone has been waiting to see what happens at the gig. _:) _So, without further ado, here it is! We hope you enjoy it, and please let us know what you think._

_Yours,_

_butterflyswest and Erin Allen_

10

There was already a line in front of the club as they approached. Neela raised her eyebrows and glanced at Ray where he sat in the driver's seat. She had never been able to get to one of his gigs before it had already started. It had never occurred to her to wonder about fans lining up at the door.

"Is it always like this?" she asked.

He shot her a look and carefully turned the van carrying all the band's equipment into the alley between the club and the building next door.

"Yeah," he said, as if it was the most natural thing in the world to have people lining up to see you. "Why?" he asked, grinning at her in the neon light from the club. "I told you we could pack a house."

She made a face at him and looked at Emily tucked in between a bass drum and a stack of guitars.

"Are you all right?" she asked, as the van bounced in a rut and Emily caught herself against the instruments.

"Oh, yeah. Just peachy. Ray, I take back everything I said about you getting a car. Don't. Ever."

Brett laughed from the very back of the van.

"Yeah, there Andretti, why don't you just cool it with the van? This thing ain't made for off-roading."

Ray rolled his eyes and turned into the parking lot as close to the club's back door as he could get.

"First I have to deal with her backseat driving, now Brett's in on the act," he muttered, shoving the van into park and turning off the key.

Neela frowned back at his friend.

"If you think you could do better, then why don't you drive?" she asked, knowing full well he'd lost his license for a DUI. The look on his face was sullen as the other guys started laughing.

"That was a low blow, Dr. Neela," he grumbled.

"Then shut up," she said tartly and turned back around.

Ray smiled. "I can defend myself, you know."

She opened her door with a shrug. "Sorry. Couldn't help myself."

Ray shook his head, opening his door. The guys already had the back doors opened and were pulling out equipment. Ray dragged open the side door and helped Emily out. She paused, brushing off the clothes she had changed into. She'd had more than a few words to say about the van when she'd seen it. The thing didn't look like it would make it five feet without falling apart, but Brett kept the engine in prime condition. Her eyes were wide as she scanned the parking lot and open back door of the club. From where they stood, the empty dance floor was visible, lit by the bright overhead lights. Later, when they had finished setting up and the club opened, the place would be packed; the only light the colored lights near the stage.

"Now remember," he said reaching in to grab his guitar, "I need you to stay in back. You're not even supposed to be here."

"I know."

He paused, shooting her a sharp look. She had agreed too easily. Then he shook his head. He didn't have time to argue with her, and Neela would be there to keep her out of trouble. He hefted the strap over his shoulder and grabbed up a drum case with each hand.

"If you're coming, grab up something and come on."

Again, he could only stare at her as she reached in without argument and pulled out a cymbal case, holding it with both hands as she turned toward him expectantly.

"Are we going in or not?" she asked innocently.

He nodded and headed for the door, dodging the guys as they carried more equipment in. Most of the load consisted of drums and cymbals, but even that was almost completely set up. A lot of practice had made everyone adept at getting everything together quickly. Brett was already doing a sound check on the mics, and Matt was tuning his guitars. Ray handed the case off and leaned his own guitar against the stage.

"Come on, you two. I'll show you where you'll be."

He turned and led the way toward the back of the stage and a narrow hallway. At the end of the hall, he found Mike, the club owner, hiding behind a stack of paperwork in his office.

"Hey, Mike," Ray called, poking his head in the door.

Mike looked up with a scowl until he saw Ray. Then he downright frowned.

"Where the hell have you guys been?" he snapped as he gingerly eased his way around the precariously stacked files. "Why do you always do this to me? You know my heart won't take it."

Ray raised an eyebrow. "You and I both know that your heart is as healthy as mine," he said wryly. "Listen, I need a favor."

"What now?" Mike asked sourly, though he was smiling. Ray knew that he'd do whatever Ray asked for. The band brought in way too much money to piss them off.

"I need the dressing room for the night. Just until we finish," Ray added when Mike opened his mouth.

"What the hell for? I'm not…"

"Hey, it's only for a few hours, Mike, and then we'll be out of here."

Mike rolled his eyes, running his hand over his shiny head. "You are killing me, Barnett. You know that don't you? Sure, what the hell? You know where it is. I've got a sidewalk full of people, and he wants to ask for favors…" He muttered the last as he flopped back down in his seat.

Ray turned around to find Neela watching him, an odd look on her face.

"What?" he asked.

"Some of the people you know…" she began, then trailed off to shake her head.

He grinned and threw his arm around her shoulders. "I got the best one right here," he said with a low growl, pulling her into a rough headlock. She shoved him away with a scowl, though her eyes were bright with mirth.

"You'll have to stay in here while I'm playing," he said, heading down the hall to another door. He shoved it open, half cringing at what he would find. Surprisingly, the place was fairly clean. He could remember nights when the guys would sneak girls in there to wait for them to finish playing. Not tonight. That was all he needed; a bunch of half dressed groupies in here. Neela wouldn't be too mad about that.

Like hell.

He watched as Neela surveyed the room with a look of distaste. She entered and lifted a pair of thong underwear from a mirror, holding it like toxic waste. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"I hope we won't have to deal with this tonight," she said caustically.

"No," he said, feeling heat flood his face thinking of other nights, other gigs that he too had brought fans into the dressing room. She nodded and tossed the panties into the garbage, wiping her hands on her jeans.

She turned away on the pretense of looking around, but she was only trying to hide the flash of jealousy that had stabbed through her when she'd found the panties. How many times had he…? She shook her head and forced a smile. That was in the past. He loved her. He wouldn't hurt her like that. The rationale was there, but she couldn't shake the nagging little voice in the back of her head that whispered about countless sleepless nights listening to him and the current bimbo through the paper-thin walls. She squashed the thought and turned back to him.

"We'll be fine," she told him too brightly. "Just so long as someone brings us something to drink."

Ray narrowed his eyes at her tone, sensing something wrong, but she was looking everywhere but at him. He shook his head. _I'm imagining things,_ he thought. She just didn't want to be there. And finding the trash from parties past probably wasn't helping her mood.

"Well, listen, I have to help set up. Mike's gonna open the doors in about five minutes, so…"

"If we need anything, I'll get it," Neela interrupted. She smiled to soften the sharp tone, cursing herself for letting her irritation show. "Don't worry, Ray. We'll be fine."

He glanced at Emily. "You ok, squirt? You're too quiet."

"I'm fine," she said innocently.

He paused, not trusting the tone in her voice, but she just smiled at him. He left the room, rubbing the back of his neck. He didn't have time to get into it with her, nor did he want to. He had other things to worry about right now. Like Neela's sudden irritation. But he didn't even have time to mull over that. The first patrons of the night were starting to trickle in, hands stamped and ready for a show. Ray pulled himself on stage and grabbed his guitar, checking that everything was plugged in and tuned. He glanced at Brett and nodded thanks for tuning it. Just then, Mike came onstage, his head glowing red and blue in the lights.

"You guys ready?" he asked, and Ray nodded.

"Ready as we'll ever be."

Neela sighed as the first sharp chords of Ray's guitar filtered over the shouts of the patrons. She flopped in a chair to wait it out. _It's going to be a bloody long night,_ she thought as she watched Emily begin to pace back and forth.

"You might as well sit down," she said. "We're going to be here for a while."

Emily just shook her head and kept pacing. Finally, she stopped, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I don't understand why I can't be out there watching."

Neela groaned inwardly. She should have known that Emily's innocent act was just that, an act.

"This club only allows those twenty-one and over. You are far from twenty-one."

"So? Its not like I'll be drinking. Besides, I want to see Ray play."

"We explained this to you…"

"I'm thirsty," Emily said abruptly, throwing herself into a chair with a sullen pout.

Neela clamped her teeth over everything she had been about to say; suspicious of the sudden change in direction the conversation had gone. She narrowed her eyes on the girl, trying to figure her out. She was up to something. Ray did the same thing when he was trying to get away with something, using diversion to throw her off.

"We only just got here," Neela said carefully.

"I know, but I'm thirsty. You said…"

"I know what I said, but if you were…"

"Fine. If you won't get me something, then I'll just go out there and get it myself."

"Sit down," Neela said in exasperation, as Emily began to rise. "I'll go. But you stay here. Ray will have kittens if he catches you out of this room."

"I know. I won't."

Neela stood, looking down at the girl. With the dark makeup she'd "borrowed" from Ray darkening her eyes, she looked older than her true age. It was hard to remember that she was really only a child,. Neela couldn't help but feel like a jailor. The girl had never experienced anything in her life. It was understandable that she would want to be where the action was. And, by the sound of things, the action was in full swing onstage. Neela glanced at the closed door as the band went into another song full of bass guitar and heavy drums. She sighed and went to the door.

"I'll be right back."

"Ok," Emily muttered, examining her nails.

Neela rolled her eyes and opened the door. The noise hit her like a sledgehammer, and she steeled herself against the pounding decibels. How they could play night after night like this was beyond her. It was a wonder that they all weren't deaf. She made her way down the hall and past the bouncers that guarded the entrance to the hall. She flashed a small smile at one of them as she eased past him.

"What are you doing back there?" he shouted.

"I'm with the band," she shouted back and ground her teeth at the slow knowing grin he flashed at her. Just how often did they have women back there? The bouncer moved to let her by, and she went, avoiding his eyes. She wasn't some little tart that they had picked up, and she didn't like that he thought it.

She shoved her way through the crowd, thoroughly pissed off now. Jealousy burned at her. Was this what she would have to get used to in order to be with Ray? Women throwing themselves at him? Taking off their clothes if he would just flash a smile? If that was how things would be, then she wasn't sure that she could handle it.

The crowd opened up in front of her, and she finally found the bar. The frantic looking bartender gave her an odd look when she asked for a beer and a soda, but finally shrugged and went to retrieve her order. Neela turned around, leaning against the bar to wait. Against her will, her eyes strayed to the stage, and she froze, heat rushing to her face.

Ray was completely immersed in the music, his eyes closed as he sang into the mic. Sweat was already dripping off him from the heat of the lights and the energy he poured into the performance. He stepped away from the mic, his fingers flying along the frets of his guitar. He glanced at Brett, and they grinned at each other as the crowd went wild. Neela didn't see it. Everything faded except for Ray. It was all she could do to keep it together as a wave of pure lust crashed through her. Then it hit her. This was why she was so drawn to him. This was the core of Ray. The passion. He carried an undeniable passion within him that made her ache. Passion for his music, passion for medicine, passion for those he loved. It was in every move he made, though he kept it so hidden that no one would ever know unless they looked. But she could see it, feel it in the air around her as the song ended and the crowd began to shout.

She quickly turned around, not wanting him to see her. Not like this. She felt as if she was about to fly apart with want. It was all she could do to keep from running up on stage and kissing him. Right there. In front of everyone. She blindly paid the bartender for the drinks and snatched them from the top of the bar. She had to get out of here before she made a fool of herself and gave in to her sudden impulse. She pushed through the crowd, ignoring the shouts of protest when she spilled a drink from someone's hand. The bouncer moved aside when they saw her coming, and she gratefully moved down the hall to the dressing room.

"All they had was…" she began as she entered the room. She stopped, her heart plunging into her stomach. The room was empty. She set the drinks carefully on the dressing table, trying to still the shaking in her hands. Emily was gone.

"Oh, bloody hell…" she breathed, whirling back through the door. She should have expected something like this. The girl was only fourteen after all. She jogged down the hall and grabbed the bouncer by the arm.

"Did a girl come by here? Blonde hair, blue eyes?" she shouted in his ear.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Well, where did she go?" Neela screamed over the music.

He jerked his head toward the thrashing crowd. Neela stared at the sea of people with dismay. How was she going to find her? She pulled herself to her full height and waded into the crowd. _I'm never having children…_

Finding Emily wasn't as hard as she'd thought it would be. She had taken up a spot near the front wall and was standing on a chair, enthusiastically shouting with the crowd. She grinned when she saw Neela coming toward her and hopped down.

"They are so awesome!" she yelled in Neela's ear, as if she wasn't doing anything wrong.

Neela took her arm. "You were supposed to stay backstage," she said harshly.

"I know, but it was boring back there. And I wanted to see him play." She grinned and bounced up and down. "This is too cool!"

"Ok, guys, we're gonna take five and get a beer."

Neela actually cringed, knowing what was coming. Ray would head backstage and find them gone. He was going to have a bloody coronary over this.

"Come on," she said, as the house music began to play. She took Emily's arm and steered her through the crowd. "If Ray catches you out here…"

"There he is right now," Emily said, yanking against the grip on her arm. She stood stock still, her face suddenly pale. Neela followed her gaze and felt the blood drain from her own face. She sucked air into her lungs, though they protested. She felt, suddenly, as if she had been hit in the stomach.

Ray was at the bar, beer in hand. The blonde woman with him had her arms twined around his neck and was smiling up at him. The woman was beautiful with the body of a model. The scant clothes she wore barely covered what God had given her. As Neela watched, she leaned up and kissed Ray full on the mouth.

She actually heard the crack as her heart broke. It was as clear as the music that was now playing. She didn't feel Emily tug on her arm. She didn't hear Brett as he came up behind them. She was too caught up in the pain of seeing that woman all over Ray.

"What the hell are you two doing up here? We could all get in deep shit if you get caught out here."

Neela turned blindly as he spun her around with a hand on her shoulder. He paused, his brow furrowing when he saw the shocked look in her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked sharply.

"What's wrong?" Emily asked harshly. "That's what's wrong." She pointed at the bar where Ray was taking a drink, smiling at the girl beside him.

Brett followed her gaze and scowled. "Damn that bitch," he growled. "Neela, believe me, he doesn't want anything to do with her. She's one of those…"

"What?" Neela asked faintly. "Does he know her?"

He shook his head. "She's a leech," he ground out, glaring at the bar. "They like to follow the bands around, throwing themselves at them. It's like some kind of sick game. Trust me. He doesn't…"

"I think I should leave," Neela said quietly. She turned toward the door, but Brett stepped in her way.

"Not yet," he said sharply. "Come on, Brat," he told Emily. "Let's save your brother from the vampire."

Emily grinned, falling into step with him. Neela came only because he had a hold of her shoulder and wouldn't let go.

Ray felt as if his face was about to crack. Couldn't this chick take a hint? He wasn't interested. Not in her or any other woman. Neela was who he wanted, and if she were to come out here and see this…

"Come on, Ray," the girl—_what the hell was her name anyway—_purred in his ear. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and locked there. He reached up and pried at her fingers, trying to get her off.

"Well, Ray, aren't you going to introduce your friend?"

Ray spun around, spilling his beer in the girl's clothes. She cried out in shocked anger and pulled back. Ray didn't even think to be angry with Emily for being out front. At least the blonde was off him. But his relief was short lived when he saw Neela standing by Brett, his hand gripping her shoulder. Her face was a dark mask of anger, but it was the hurt in her eyesthatbrought his heart to a standstill.

"Neela, I…"

"Look who I found wandering around, Ray," Brett broke in, his eyes giving him a warning.

Emily crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. Ray turned his attention back to Neela, but she wouldn't look at him.

"Well, Ray? Aren't you going to introduce your…" Emily paused, as if searching for the right word. Then she brightened and looked directly at the blonde who was staring at her with narrowed eyes. "What was the word you used for her, Brett? Oh yeah, a leech."

Brett choked on the beer he was drinking and ended up spitting it all over the floor. Ray could only gape at his sister as the woman stepped forward.

"What did you just call me?" she asked dangerously.

That broke the paralysis that had come over Neela. She jumped into action, pulling Emily behind her, her eyes narrowed on the woman. She was suddenly angry in a way she had never been before. She had seen the shocked look in Ray's eyes when he'd turned toward them. She had seen the fear there. Suddenly, Brett's words sank in, and her blood heated up.

"She called you a leech," she told the woman clearly. "I have another word for it, but we won't get into that here."

"Listen, here…"

"I'm taking Emily home, Ray," Neela said, glancing at him. He was staring at her with a pleading look on his face. She could imagine what was going on in his head. She wasn't ready to get into it now. "We'll talk when you come home," she said, her tone implying that she would do more than just talk.

"Oh, you're the roommate," the blonde said scornfully. She gave Ray pouting little look. "I thought…"

"You actually think?" Emily said from behind Neela. "I never would have believed it."

The woman's face darkened as she whirled back toward Emily. Neela stepped solidly in front of her, though the blonde was taller by almost a head.

"Brett," she said, her eyes on Ray. "Would you take Emily out the side door? I'll be there in a minute."

"Sure," he said quickly, pulling Emily along. "I cannot believe you said that, brat," he muttered under his breath.

Neela turned back to Ray and swallowed hard. She wouldn't cry. Not here. Not now, though that's exactly what she wanted to do. She could see in his eyes everything he wanted to say, but couldn't. It wouldn't be right to discuss this here.

"If you can find your way home later, we'll talk," she said in a hard tone. She spun away, ignoring him when he called her name.

Ray watched her go, wanting nothing more than to go after her, explain what had just happened. But he couldn't. He had to finish the gig. He cursed under his breath and turned back to the bartender to order another drink.

"Now that she's gone, we can finish what we started," the girl said, with her hand on his arm.

He glared at her and shook her hand off his arm.

"We never started," he said sharply. "Take a hint."

"You can't mean…"

"Yeah, I can. Not now, not ever, and especially not you."

Her face twisted with rage, and she slapped him across the face before shoving away from the bar. Ray put a hand to his cheek and downed the shot that the bartender brought him.

"That was ugly," Brett said, sidling up beside him. Then he laughed without humor. "Somehow though, I think it's nothing compared with what you have to deal with when you go home."

"No shit," Ray said, staring sullenly at his beer.

"Don't worry about it, man," Brett said, his tone uncharacteristically sober. "I talked to her. I don't think it'll be as bad as all that."

Ray winced, and ordered another shot. It was going to be that bad. He'd seen it in Neela's eyes when she left. He downed another shot, knowing that it wouldn't make things any better, but needing something for the pain. It was just his luck that he'd finally found something worth more to him than life, and now he was about to lose it because some girl couldn't take a hint.

"We've got to go on again," Brett said clearly through the sudden alcohol haze. "Lay off that crap or you won't be able to play."

Ray nodded, setting the shot glass back on the bar. He turned and followed Brett back to the stage, his steps already unsteady. He couldn't remember feeling more miserable.

It was going to be a long night.


	11. Chapter 11

_All right, everybody, we know that we only submitted the last chapter a day or so ago, but... This was one of those chapters that just BEGGED to be written!_ _It just couldn't wait. So here's the next chapter for you. Thanks to everyone who reviewed Chapter 10 or any other chapter. We love to hear from you, so please don't hesitate to tell us what you think of this one. _:)

_Yours,_

_butterflyswest and Erin Allen_

11

Ray leaned against the wall, cursing as the key refused to fit into the lock. He closed his eyes and opened them again just as quickly. He hadn't realized that he'd had that much to drink. He was well under his usual limit, but he couldn't deny that the entire hallway dipped like some madman's rollercoaster when he closed his eyes or the sick churning in his stomach. He sighed, focusing with difficulty on the lock. For a split second, he considered knocking on the door for Neela to let him in, but ditched the thought just as quickly. She was either asleep or in the process of throwing his stuff off the balcony. She wouldn't let him in voluntarily either way. He frowned, and then blinked blearily at the key in his hand. He was going to take one more stab at it before he just gave up and slept in the hall.

He stuck the key in the general direction of the lock and almost fell over with shock when it actually slid home. Two tries turning it the wrong way and his pickled brain finally told him to try the other way. He turned the knob, and finally staggered intothe apartment.

The hall light was on, giving him a little light to see by. Not that it made much difference. He was far beyond seeing clearly. He slammed the door behind him, and winced. That was just great. Good start toward trying to explain things to Neela. Slam the door and piss her off even more. He tripped over his bag trying to get to his room, and fell into his door headfirst. He clapped both hands over his head, blinking his eyes against the sudden tears of pain. He pushed to his feet, doubling over as he rubbed his head.

"Son of a bitch," he muttered harshly.

"Exactly my thought."

Ray closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"What are you doing up?" he asked his sister.

"I was hungry," she told him, opening the fridge.

She flipped on the kitchen light, and Ray raised his head, squinting against the glare. She stood leaning against the counter, her face scrubbed clean of the makeup she'd been wearing. Her hair was damp and pulled into a loose ponytail at the top of her head. Ray frowned, recognizing the shirt she was wearing.

"Where did you find that shirt?" he asked, pulling his hand away from his head. There was no blood on his hand, so he was pretty sure he was in no danger of dying, though his head didn't agree. There was already a swelling lump right on top. He touched the spot gingerly and hissed.

"In Neela's room," she said, reaching behind her to pick up a bowl and spoon.

He sighed and pushed away from the wall. That explained that mystery. He'd been looking for that shirt for three months. His heart constricted to think that Neela had been hoarding it all that time. He glanced at his door.

"She told me that I could wear it," Emily said now. She looked down at her bowl, filled the spoon, and lifted it to her mouth. She was quiet for a moment, munching noisily.

"And what are you eating?" he asked, lurching into the kitchen. He yanked open the freezer door and grabbed out a tray of ice.

"Cereal," she said. "I love the blueberries by the way."

He scowled at her as he filled a towel with ice and gingerly pressed it to the bump on his head. Christ! This had to be the longest, most miserable night of his life. He'd fought with Neela, gotten drunk, couldn't get in the door, knocked himself stupid, and now his little sister was chowing down on _his_ cereal. Things just got better and better.

"Didn't I tell you to leave my cereal alone," he asked, knowing that it was useless to even say anything.

"Neela said I could have it," she answered around a mouthful. Then she frowned. "By the way, does she speak another language?"

Ray's eyes widened, and he shot her a look of confusion.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, fishing the aspirin from the cupboard. God his head hurt!

"Well, on the way home, she started ranting and raving." Emily shrugged, taking another bite. "Sure didn't sound like any kind of English I know."

Ray dry swallowed the aspirin and leaned his forehead against the cupboard door. If she was speaking Punjabi then he really was in it deep. He took a deep breath, forcing air into his lungs, trying to get rid of the sick feeling that had settled uncomfortably close to his heart.

"Did she say anything else?" he asked.

"What I could understand wasn't something I can repeat," Emily said. Her face lit in a slow mischievous grin. "You are _so_ in trouble."

Ray's eyes flew open to glare at her.

"I didn't do anything," he said defensively. "I was trying to get her off of me."

"That's what Brett said. Don't worry about it, big brother. She'll cool off."

Ray shook his head, ignoring the stab of pain the action brought. He didn't want to wait until she cooled off. He wanted to talk to her, explain what had happened. He wanted to hold her and erase the hurt that he had seen in her eyes at the club. He wanted to reassure her that she was the only one he wanted.

He pushed away from the counter and staggered to his door. He gave his sister a stern look as he passed her.

"You need to go to bed, squirt," he said as normally as he could with his head pounding as it was.

She took another bite of cereal. "I want to see what happens," she said through a mouthful of food.

Ray stopped moving and glared at her over his shoulder.

"Ok, Ok. I'm going," she said, taking her bowl down the hall. Ray waited until she had closed the door before he continued on to his door.

He stared at the doorknob for a long moment, wondering what he would find when he opened it. He snorted. He'd be lucky if she just hadn't locked the damn thing. Hoping for a miracle, he reached out and grasped the knob. It turned easily, and he pushed it open, taking in the darkness within. Was she already asleep? How could she just sleep as if nothing was wrong? It hurt that she would feel nothing when he was falling apart inside. He ducked inside the room, his eyes fixed on the bed. He frowned, blinking his eyes in confusion. There was nobody under the blanket. He took a step forward, wondering if he wasn't seeing things.

The door slammed shut behind him, and he whirled around, nearly falling again. He narrowed his eyes as a dim figure emerged from behind the door.

Neela eyed him up and down, taking in his rumpled appearance and shadowed eyes. Even in the low light from the window, he looked completely miserable. From the sounds she'd heard before he had come to the door, he was well and thoroughly trashed.

"Are you all right?" she asked softly, moving toward him. "It sounded like you fell."

"I did," he admitted, his voice sounding completely bewildered. "I tripped over my bag and hit the door."

"That's what I thought," she said. "Are you hurt?"

He shook his head, never taking his eyes from her. What the hell was she up to? She was still completely in the dark, but she didn't sound mad as hell like he'd expected. She sounded…almost concerned about him. He stayed where he was, unsure what she was going to do. He did know that if she was about to tell him to go to hell, he just wished she would get it over with, so he could crawl somewhere and die. He refused to acknowledge the fear that thought evoked. _Goddammit, I can't lose her_, he thought. _Not now…_

He winced against the glare as she struck a match. When his eyes adjusted to the soft light of the candle she lit, he suddenly understood her odd behavior. His mouth went dry and he swallowed hard against the lump that rose in his throat. She turned to look at him, her eyes softened in the gentle light, and he wondered if he wasn't just having a dream. Instead of talking to his sister in the kitchen and then coming in here, he was really knocked out cold in the hallway.

She was dressed in a little slip of nothing made of black lace that only fell to the middle of her thighs. His eyes were drawn upward where he could see her honey gold skin peeking through the small holes in the fabric. The top was scooped so low that he could see the smooth skin of her perfect breasts, just begging him to touch, to taste. Tiny black beads were all that curved over her shoulders to hold it on. He tore his eyes away from the vision before him to look into her eyes.

"Neela…" he croaked, unsure of what to say. He laughed inwardly. Thank God no one was here to witness that. Ray Barnett? Speechless?

She smiled gently and moved toward him. She had been agonizing over doing this from the moment she had come home. It wasn't as if she had any experience seduction. She played it safe. Always. But now was not the time for half measures. Something inside her had snapped at the club, seeing that girl touching, kissing, the man she loved. All the way home, she had worried over Brett's words like a dog worrying at a bone. What if he was wrong? What if...

What if pigs could fly?

The basic fact was that she loved him. Loved him enough to help him with his sister. Loved him enough to help him patch things up with his best friend. Loved him enough to fight for him, to do what no one else had ever done for him, accept him.

She approached him, feeling her heart begin to beat against her ribs. She boldly pressed herself against him, slipping her hands under his shirt to graze her nails lightly across his back. She smiled when he shivered, closing his eyes with a small gasp.

"I was starting to get worried about you," she murmured, going on tiptoes to nuzzle his throat. He leaned down a little, so she could reach.

"You were?" he asked, his voice slightly strangled. "I thought…"

"You thought what, Ray?" she murmured, lifting his shirt to run her tongue across his chest. He sucked in a hissing breath, his hands finding her waist seemingly of their own volition.

"I thought you were…"

She paused, glancing up into his eyes.

"That I was angry?" she finished softly.

He nodded, his breath starting to come in short gasps and his skin was pebbled with chill bumps. She smiled, feeling rather smug that she could do this to him, that she had this effect on him. She lifted his shirt to his neck, and he pulled it over his head.

"I was angry at the situation, Ray. I know now that you're not to blame."

He sighed and closed his eyes, wrapping his arms around her. Resting his cheek on the top of her head, he stroked her back.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I…" he began, but broke off as her fingers deftly unbuttoned his jeans. He pulled back a little to look down at her in shock. "Neela…"

She met his shocked gaze without flinching. It was time to stop running from what she wanted. He deserved better than that.

"I love you, Ray. I always have."

His face twisted with something like pain, before he took her face in his palms, leaning forward to kiss her.

"I love you, Neela. Only you…" he said against her lips.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, matching him in ferocity. His tongue chased hers from his mouth, teasing, caressing her palate…sharing breath. The moment of lust she had experienced at the club was nothing compared with the need that was now stinging her blood. His arms nearly crushed her as he lifted her off her feet. She wrapped her legs around his waist, needing to be closer. Needing him.

Ray didn't know what had happened to change her mind, but right now he didn't care. He couldn't think with her scent in his nose, seeping into his pores. He didn't stop to wonder why this was happening. How could he possibly think with her hands roaming across his skin, leaving the memory of her touch imprinted in every cell. How could he ever consider being with another woman when Neela could do this to him? He'd never experienced anything that could compare with this. In that moment, he could do anything, be anything. The alcohol haze was gone. The pain in his head was dim and distant. All he could feel was Neela, wrapped around him as if she would like nothing better than to just crawl inside him.

With a groan, he moved forward blindly, not caring where they ended up, so long as he could touch her, taste her. Her back hit the wall, and she cried out, arching her back as he pushed against her. Every sense he had suddenly rushed to his groin. He couldn't hold back the low moan that escaped his throat as he thrust against her through his clothes. Christ! There was no way he could wait. He was like some fumbling kid, but he couldn't help it, and he really didn't care. She loved him. She hadn't turned him away or run away from him after what had happened at the club.

She truly loved him enough to forgive him.

Neela was beyond all thought. The wall dug into her back, but she didn't feel pain. Everything she knew, everything she had ever known was centered on the man holding her. She couldn't remember ever wanting someone as much as she wanted him in that moment. She bit her lip to hold in the scream of pure ecstasy as he somehow freed himself from his clothes and plunged into her. His mouth slammed down on hers, swallowing her cries as he pushed forward, deeper…deeper, until she was gasping for air. The negligee was suddenly gone, torn from her like tissue. She held on for dear life, sure that she was going to fall apart, that she would simply shatter into dust at his feet. One hand held her against him, but the other roamed across her skin in a searing trail of heat. She whimpered, near tears at the wonder of it. With a sudden hard thrust, she did shatter, his kiss muffling her cries as he, too, came apart.

Ray could barely hold himself steady as he slowly sank to his knees. He held her close, burying his face in her hair, stroking her back where the wall had likely bruised her. He was content for the moment to just sit there, not moving, not speaking. What could he say to describe what he was feeling? Love seemed almost too pale a word for the feelings that were whirling like a storm through his heart. Her fingers stroked the back of his neck, and he finally raised his head to look into her eyes.

"Ray…" she began, but he shushed her with a soft kiss.

"I know, Neela," he whispered, trailing his hand down her cheek. "I love you, too."


	12. Chapter 12

_OK, folks, here we are again! lol First, of course, we want to say thank you for all of the great comments we've gotten! We love to hear that you've enjoyed reading our story as much as we've enjoyed writing it. We know that it's been a minute since we updated, but after the last chapter, we wanted to give everyonethat minute to cool off. lol So now that we've rambled on for a bit, here is Chapter Twelve. Please let us know what you think._

_Yours, as always,_

_butterflyswest and Erin Allen_

12

He had to lean on Neela to get to the bed. When his heart finally stopped racing, and his legs stopped shaking, he realized that he was just as drunk as he'd been before coming into the room. He laughed ruefully as he fell heavily on the mattress.

"I'm sorry," he said as she helped him out of his pants.

She gave him a sardonic glare and tossed his jeans into a corner. He scooted across the bed and pulled the blankets over both of them when she crawled in with him.

"I don't understand how you could have gotten as knockered as you are," she said, burrowing against him.

"Neither can I," he said, wrapping his arms around her. "I was…"

He paused, and she waited a moment before she turned her head to look at him.

"You were…" she prompted, gently.

"I was pissed off," he said finally, staring off into space. "I kept trying to get her off…" He broke off and blew out a breath. "I was afraid that I would lose you."

She turned in his arms to look him in the eye. Giving him a soft kiss, she stroked his stubbled cheek with her palm.

"You're not going to lose me, Ray. It took us too long to come to this to throw it away on a whim." She paused, biting her lip. "Besides, I was more worried about losing you to her."

He frowned and took her wrist in his hand.

"Why would you say that?" He shook his head in confusion. "Why would you even think that?"

She looked away, not wanting to say exactly what had come over her while watching that woman grope him. She had been angry, but that was nothing compared to the hurt she had felt. The feeling of inevitability. She just wasn't the type of woman that Ray would usually go for. She knew that. She'd seen some of the women he had brought home, and she didn't even come close.

"Neela?" he persisted, and she sighed.

"All I could think of was that she was beautiful and exciting. Why would you want to be with someone dull like me when you could…"

"Ok, stop right there," he said sharply. "First, she was not beautiful. She's window dressing. She was like an old table with a lacquer finish."

Neela laughed, unable to help herself.

"And you are not boring," he continued with a grin. "You keep me on my toes, wondering what the hell you're going to jump my ass for next." He leaned forward to kiss her lightly. "You, babe, are beautiful, sexy, smart. You're gorgeous all the way through. Why the hell would I want hamburger when I have fillet mignon?"

Neela raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know whether to feel better or be insulted to be described as a piece of meat," she said half joking. Then she burst out laughing. That was Ray, though. Using totally corny metaphors to describe what he was thinking.

He grinned and pushed himself up on his elbow to look down at her.

"I'm in the mood to sing," he said.

"What?"

"_Hey where did we go…days when the rains came…my brown eyed girl," _he began to sing, and she really started laughing. She didn't know how he knew the words to that old Van Morrison song, but when he came to the "sha la la's" she was in tears from laughing so hard. Her sides ached and she thought she might very well need the loo very soon.

"Ok, then," he said with that pout that got her every time. "Since you don't like that one, how about this. I know you like listening to this crap. _My life is brilliant…my love is pure…I saw an angel…of that I'm sure…"_

She laughed even harder at that. "You're Beautiful" by James Blunt _was_ one of her favorites, but coming from Doc Rock it was just bizarre. And when he tried to hit the higher notes, it was almost more than she could take.

"Ray…please…you need to stop," she gasped out, trying to bring herself under control. "How hard of a knock did you take to your skull?"

He just grinned and kept singing only to break off a minute later when Emily banged on the wall between their rooms.

"Will you two shut up?" her muffled voice bellowed through the wall. "Some of us are trying to sleep here."

That set them both off. Ray rested his head against Neela's shoulder as he laughed, pulling her close. Neela buried her face against his neck to stifle her giggles. Then he jumped to his feet on the bed and began to sing right at the wall at the top of his lungs, forcing himself to be as off key as he could. He pounded on the wall twice and fell back into bed, right on top of Neela.

"What song was that?" she asked, breathless from laughing.

"You should know it," he said, settling back on the mattress. "Its Def Leppard. They're British."

"That doesn't mean I've heard of them," she said as she snuggled up beside him, his arm around her shoulders. "And by the way, that was dreadful."

"Maybe she'll keep quiet now," he said without remorse. "I can't even serenade my girl without a critic."

She chuckled and listened to the sound of his heartbeat against her ear. His breathing grew slow and even, and she let the sounds and his warmth lull her into a doze.

"I love you," he whispered, before he finally fell into sleep.

Those words followed her down as she too fell asleep.

0000000000

Ray jerked awake at the sound of a voice outside his bedroom door. He blinked against the glare of the morning sun coming through his window. The light seemed to stab through his eyes and into his brain. _What was I thinking, drinking so much,_ he thought as he scrubbed at his face. He winced as Brett knocked on the bedroom door.

"Hey, Barnett! Get up and fix some coffee for God's sake."

Neela groaned beside him and lifted her head to glare at the door.

"Can we just kill him?" she asked, her voice sleep drugged. "I'll even hide the body."

Ray leaned over and kissed her head.

"Go back to sleep," he said. "I'll get rid of him."

She dropped her head back on the pillow, pulling Ray's pillow over her head.

"I'll mop up the blood later," she muttered.

Ray grinned and rolled off the bed. Pulling on some sweats and an old tee shirt, he quietly made his way to the door. He paused, grinning at the hardened puddle of wax on his dresser. Until the day he died, he'd never forget what Neela had done. Nor could he ever forget singing to her or the light in her dark eyes as she laughed with him. Even now, the memory was enough to bring his blood to a boil and make him wish that he hadn't given Brett a key.

With a heavy sigh, he opened his door and shuffled out. He touched the top of his head as he pulled the door shut and couldn't help but flinch at the sharp pain that followed. Kicking his bag toward the door, he went to the kitchen to make coffee.

"It's about time you got up," Brett said, rummaging through the cupboard.

Ray scowled at him as he started measuring out coffee.

"What are you doing here, Brett?"

"I came to see how things went last night," his friend said as he pulled the box of cereal from the shelf. "I didn't see your crap out in the street so I assume that you two kissed and made up."

Ray turned away to look in the fridge to hide the heat he felt in his face. They had done a lot more than kiss and make up.

"We're cool," he said nonchalantly as he pulled out the gallon of milk. He felt Brett's eyes on his back and glanced at him over his shoulder. "What?"

Brett narrowed his eyes before a slow grin spread across his face.

"Aww…Ray. You're blushing," he said in a high little singsong. He crossed the kitchen to tweak Ray's cheek. "That's so cute."

Ray shoved him away with a laugh.

"That's none of your business," he said, slamming the fridge door. "And get your hands off that cereal. Neela catches you eating that and she'll have your ass."

Brett looked down at the box and frowned.

"I like this stuff, and I'm hungry. I can't eat that crap you like."

Ray paused, remembering his sister eating his cereal the night before. He raised an eyebrow. Well, if Neela could give his cereal away…

"Knock yourself out," he told his friend, and busied himself getting a bowl of his own.

"So she wasn't pissed?" Brett asked as he poured enough cereal into a plastic bowl to feed an army. He used half the milk they had left to drown the flakes and proceeded to eat like some over excited mastodon, crunching loud enough to wake the dead. Ray couldn't look at him.

"She wasn't pissed," he answered, scowling as he lifted his box of cereal. How much couldone fourteen year old eat? The box was half empty.

"Good," Brett said around a mouthful of milk and cereal. "She's good for you."

Ray shot him a disbelieving look.

"Are you kidding me?" he asked. "I thought…"

"She'll keep you honest," Brett said with a close-lipped grin. "You need that. I'm getting tired of keeping you out of trouble."

Ray raised an eyebrow and poured some coffee for the two of them.

"I seem to remember that I'm the one who's always pulling you out of trouble. What happened the last time I wasn't there? You ended up with a DUI."

"Isolated incident," Brett said cheerfully. "Besides…"

A knock at the front door interrupted him. Ray frowned and glanced at the clock. It was barely ten. Who the hell would come here that early?

"Someone's at the door," Brett said around another elephant sized bite of cereal.

Ray set his cup down, and shot Brett ahard look.

"Your powers of observation are just amazing," he said dryly.

"I know."

Rolling his eyes, Ray went to the door and looked out the peephole. He didn't recognize the man standing in the hall. He was maybe in his thirties with dark hair that was thinning on top. Dark eyes glanced nervously up and down the hall as he waited. It was as if he was afraid he was going to be mugged at any minute. It didn't surprise Ray what with the way he was dressed. Nice suit, tie, with a shiny watch on his wrist, the guy had "victim" written all over him. Ray pulled back, flipped the lock, and yanked open the door. The man actually jumped back, and Ray held back a grin.

"Can I help you?"

"Raymond Barnett?" he asked, regaining his composure enough to sound condescending. Ray bristled at the tone as much as he did the name. He hated to be called Raymond.

"I'm Ray," he snapped coldly.

"Where is she?"

"Excuse me?"

The man sighed and started past Ray into the apartment. Ray stopped him with a hand on his chest.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" he asked, pushing the bastard back into the hallway. The guy was taller than Ray by a few inches, but didn't look to be in shape. Ray glanced over his shoulder at Brett who had set his bowl aside and was coming toward him.

"Mr. Barnett…"

"Dr. Barnett," Ray interrupted harshly, crossing his arms over his chest. He sensed Brett at his back and was reassured. At the very least, he'd have a witness if he had to beat the hell out of this guy.

"Be that as it may, the question still stands. Where is she?"

"It would help if I knew who 'she' was."

The man sighed and shook his head sadly. Ray felt his gut clench as the first flames of anger began to lick his blood.

"I'm talking about Emily Reena Barnett. Age, fourteen. Blonde hair, blue eyes. Your sister. Correct?"

"She's my sister, but I haven't seen her in years," Ray lied.

"Holy, shit, Ray! You have a sister? I never would have thought that your parents would want to procreate again."

Ray shot Brett a cutting look over his shoulder for that little shot, but Brett was staring at the man in the doorway.

"I told you last night that I didn't know who you were talking about," Brett said, curling his lip menacingly.

"This matter is none of your business, sir," the man said sharply. He looked at Ray again and pulled a card from his suit pocket. "My name is James Randly. I'm an attorney with…"

Ray snatched the card from his hand and read the title of the firm. Barnett, Oakes, and Sands. Son of a bitch. He turned sharply, hearing a door open behind him.

Neela was standing in the doorway to his bedroom, staring at the scene with wide eyes. He glanced at the hall, fear stirring in his heart as another door was opened. Her mouth dropped open, and he jerked his head toward the hall, imploring with his eyes to get Emily into the back. _Please…_

She nodded quickly and fled the room toward the back of the apartment.

"Who was that?" Randly asked sharply. "Your roommate?"

"None of your damn business," Ray snarled, taking a step forward.

Randly stepped back, fear flickering in his eyes.

"I'm here on orders to bring Miss Barnett back to Philadelphia," he said, a slight tremor in his voice. "Your father…"

"My father is a bastard," Ray snapped, his temper on a short tether.

"Is that any way to be to your guest, Ray?" Brett asked from behind him. "If it was me, I'd just kick his ass and leave him in the street." He laughed. "In this neighborhood, that watch alone would get you shanked."

Randly actually paled at that.

"I'm here to offer…"

"Let's just cut the bullshit, Mr. Randly," Ray said tiredly. His head was really starting to throb with the force of his emotions, the hangover, and the thumping knot on his head. "If my father wants to speak with me, then you can call him and tell him to come here himself. He obviously knows where I live. Tell him that he'd better bring a better lawyer than you are if he comes. He's gonna need one."

"Are you making threats, Mr. Barnett?"

"_Dr._ Barnett is making promises," Brett said in a bored tone.

"Tell him," Ray said, and swung the door shut. He took a deep breath and leaned his head against the wood as he turned the deadbolt. He couldn't remember ever being so tired. Why did his father send that squirrelly little man for this? Suddenly he knew and laughed bitterly. He knew damn well why. Because Ray was nothing to John Barnett. Nothing at all.

"Ray?"

He turned to find Emily leaning in the hallway with Neela at her side. Her face was pale as old milk and her face pinched as if she was in pain. Ray glanced at Neela and she could only shrug helplessly.

"He'll be coming for me. Won't he?" Emily asked softly.

"Not if I can help it," he said, crossing the room to take her in his arms. She clung to his shirt and started crying. Ray and Neela locked gazes, both thinking the same thing. _He's coming now_. But they couldn't tell her that. She was scared enough as it was. Ray suddenly wished that he had taken a leave of absence until this was all settled. There was no way that he was going to leave her here now with his dad sniffing around.

"Can you stay with her, Neela?"

"I'm on duty today," Neela said quietly. "I can call…"

"I can't miss any more work," Ray interrupted with frustration.

"Dr. Carter would understand if you called him."

Ray shook his head. "Can't do that. He's doing enough for me as it is." He glanced at Brett who held up his hands.

"I'd stay here with her, but I have to go to work."

Ray raised his eyebrows and did a double take.

"You got a job?" he asked.

"Just trying to be like the man, Doc Rock," he said with a grin.

"Can't I just go with you?" Emily said, looking up at Ray, her eyes pleading with him. "I promise I won't complain. I'll even leave your cereal alone."

Ray glanced at Neela who gave him a small shrug.

"It would give us a chance to ask Wendell's advice," she said.

He nodded, clenching his jaw. God, he didn't want to deal with this today!

"Ok, squirt. Go get a shower and get dressed. Bring my IPod with you so you don't get too bored."

She gave him a questioning look, and he kissed her on the forehead.

"It'll be all right, Em. I promise."

She swallowed, looking down at the floor, before nodding. It made Ray proud to see the way she handled herself. Most kids would have been hysterical by now.

When she had disappeared into Neela's room, Ray ran his hands over his face.

"What the hell am I getting myself into?" he asked no one in particular.

"I thought you were wonderful," Neela said softly, slipping her arm around his waist.

"Yeah," Brett said, retrieving his bowl and spoon from the counter where he'd left it. "You had me quaking. Mr. Barnett."

"Bite me, Brett," Ray muttered, resting his arm around Neela's shoulders and leading her into the kitchen. He was thinking of his father and the sewer rat of a lawyer that had come to his door, so he didn't notice when she gasped and froze in place. What she said next, however, caught his attention, and he cringed inwardly.

"What are you eating, Brett?"

Ray eased away from her, knowing what was coming next.

"Cereal."

She spun around to glare at Ray. "You bloody well knew that was mine, and you let him eat it?"

"You let Em eat mine," he said defensively. "And wear my shirt that you stole three months ago."

She gave him an evil grin, her eyes shining with mischief.

"You really need to learn how to share, Ray," she said too sweetly as she swept from the kitchen and back to his room.

Ray looked at Brett and threw up his hands.

"Always has to have the last word," he muttered with a mock scowl.

Neela's voice drifted from the bedroom.

"I heard that."


	13. Chapter 13

13

The weather was the perfect accompaniment to Neela's mood as she entered the hospital behind Ray and Emily. The sky was dark with the promise of more snow and the wind seemed to cut right through the heavy coat she had pulled tight around her. She shivered involuntarily as the doors closed with a soft sigh behind her. The sudden silence was a relief after the screaming wind. Her ears rang with the aftermath.

She scurried to catch up with Ray as he made his way through the ER with single-minded concentration. He was making her nervous with the way he was acting. She had never seen him so tense, so on edge that everything faded before it. It was a little frightening how intense he was. If he was behaving like this when it was only one of his father's peons, then she was almost afraid to see what would happen if his father actually showed up.

She caught up with them at the elevator and only managed to make it inside before the doors closed behind her.

"Thanks for waiting," she said, only half teasing.

"Sorry," he answered absently, running his hand over his hair. "I just want to get this over with."

She touched his arm, giving it a light squeeze, and he shot her a grateful half smile. Neela turned to look at Emily who had been unusually quiet all morning.

"How are you holding up, Emily?"

"Fine," she mumbled around her knuckle. The skin of her first finger was red and raw from gnawing on it; the only outward appearance of her nervousness other than her pale face. Neela smiled sympathetically. The girl had been through hell in her life and still wasn't completely free of it. The lawyer's visit that morning had pushed to the fore just what a precarious position they were still in.

"Does Wendell know we're coming?" Neela asked as the doors opened.

"I called her while you were in the shower," Ray answered, stepping from the lift. "The lawyer that Carter wanted me to call said he'd be here by the time we were."

Neela raised her eyebrows but said nothing. Lawyers usually didn't make "house calls" unless the situation or the money called for it. Carter's family was very influential indeed.

They started down the hall toward Wendell's office when Ray's beeper went off. He cursed and glanced down at the display.

"Who is it?" Neela asked when he frowned.

"It's Dr. Weaver," he said, his voice bewildered. "What the hell does she want?"

"If she's paging you personally, then it can't be good," Neela remarked. "You'd better go find out what it is."

He glanced at Emily uncertainly.

"I'll take her in and stay with her until you come back," Neela assured him. When he still hesitated, she gave him a gentle shove back toward the elevators. "You can't lose your position here, Ray. Go on, we'll be fine."

"It's ok, Ray," Emily said softly. "I can do this."

He blew out a breath and kissed her forehead as he passed.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," he promised.

She nodded and turned back toward Wendell's office. Neela gave him a small smile.

"Good luck."

He forced a smile as he entered the lift and punched the button that would take him to Dr. Weaver's floor. What the hell did she want now? He'd toned down his look. He didn't wear black nail polish to work anymore. So he didn't dress in a suit anymore. So he wore jeans and tee shirts at all times. With the cases he regularly got, it was better to wear something that would clean up easily. His mind buzzing with speculation, he exited the lift as the doors opened and headed to Kerri's office.

The door was already ajar when he arrived. He knocked and stuck his head inside without waiting for an invitation. Dr. Weaver was at her desk and glanced up at his knock. By the look on her face, all was not right with the world, and somehow it was all Ray's fault. Ray was surprised to see Carter there, and his face was no less grim. Of course, Ray was used to that from her, but not from Carter. Not after Carter had offered to help him.

"You paged me?" he asked managing to keep the sudden worry he felt from his voice. Carter glanced to his left, his eyes dark with anger. Ray followed his gaze and froze in place. His heart plummeted to somewhere around his knees when the other occupant of the room turned to look at him with a smug expression of triumph. Ray stiffened and wished suddenly that he had taken Brett's suggestion and beaten the man to a pulp.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he growled, relishing the shadow of fear that crossed Randly's face as his smile faded.

"Have a seat, Dr. Barnett," Kerry said in a tone that brooked no argument. Ray opened his mouth, but changed his mind. She didn't look like she was in the mood for anything but total cooperation. Without a word, he sat, resting his ankle on his knee in an indolent pose. He sure as hell didn't feel laid-back at the moment. He felt as if he was about to snap. He glanced at the attorney and his stomach turned. _So now it starts,_ he thought as he looked away. Kerri was watching him with an expression of cool expectation. He sighed and sat up a little straighter in his seat.

"Perhaps you can explain to me why Mr. Randly is here," she said tightly, coming right to the point. Ray looked at Carter, who nodded shortly.

"He wants to know where my sister is," he said quietly.

"And do you know where she is?"

Ray nodded, meeting her gaze without flinching.

"I knew you were lying," Randly said smugly. He looked at Dr. Weaver and rose to his feet. "If he delivers her to me before five this afternoon, then his father won't file charges of kidnapping…"

"Sit down, Mr. Randly," Weaver said sharply, her eyes boring into the man until he reluctantly sat. Ray suppressed a smile. She was playing the Chief of Staff to the hilt. This was the woman that had half the hospital living in fear of her. It made him feel better that she was in all things at least fair. If she hadn't been, he knew that he would have been gone by now. She wasn't just going to take this little ferret's word and call it good.

"What I would like to know, Mr. Randly, is why are you coming to me with this? This is a personal matter that should have been discussed either with Dr. Barnett or with the police department."

"As I explained to you, Dr. Weaver, I was attempting to give Mr. Barnett this information earlier at his apartment, but was shoved and told to leave."

Kerri narrowed her eyes and reclined in her seat, staring at the attorney coldly. Without taking her eyes from Randly, she spoke to Ray.

"Did you shove him, _Dr._ Barnett?"

"When someone tries to come into my apartment uninvited, I have the right to shove them," Ray answered heatedly. "He's lucky…"

"Ray," Carter said in warning before giving the attorney a hard look. "Did you try to go into his apartment?"

"Of course! I have the authority from his father to search…"

"You do not have the authority to go into his home without his consent," Carter said sharply. "You as well as anyone should know that, Mr. Randly."

Randly colored and looked away.

"And furthermore, I would be very careful about what you do and do not say, Mr. Randly. There are three witnesses here that I'm sure will testify in a court of law that you broke into Dr. Barnett's apartment, and that he was justified in escorting you out the door in any way he felt necessary."

Randly turned an interesting shade of plum before his lips thinned in anger.

"This matter does not concern you, Dr…."

"Carter. Dr. John Carter. I'm the Head Attending in the ER."

"This matter really doesn't concern…"

"Oh, but it does, Mr. Randly," Dr. Weaver broke in. "Anything that effects the physicians in the ER is Dr. Carter's concern, just as it's my concern."

"Just what is it you're after, Mr. Randly?" Carter asked.

The attorney pulled himself up, sitting ramrod stiff in the seat.

"Mr. Barnett, my employer, wants his daughter back home where she belongs. He believes that his son took her from their home and is hiding her here. He's willing to be generous and keep this matter private if Mr. Barnett returns the girl by five o'clock this afternoon."

Carter glared at him.

"And if he doesn't?" he asked mildly, his tone belying the animosity in his eyes.

"Then charges will be filed with the Chicago Police Department for kidnapping."

Ray felt his heart stop in his chest and thought he just might get it over with and die right there. Kidnapping. Prison for the rest of his life. In that instant, he could see the future he'd dreamed of with Neela suddenly crumble to dust. And what would happen to Emily? His father would follow through with the threat. He had no doubt about that. Ray had only narrowly escaped that when he'd tried to take Emily before, but there was no way he was going to just hand his sister over to his father again. Not without a fight. He glanced at Carter, who was staring at Randly with a small, cold smile.

"Are you making threats, Mr. Randly?" Dr. Weaver asked, her tone equally cold.

"I'm merely stating a fact," the man said, suddenly wary of the chill in the air.

Carter stood slowly to loom over him. Randly stood as well, and though he was taller than Carter, it still seemed that Carter had the upper hand.

"This meeting is over, Mr. Randly."

The attorney frowned. "Excuse me?"

Carter pulled a business card from the pocket of his lab coat and handed it over.

"You may inform, Mr. Barnett that his daughter is under the protection of Chicago Children's Services and any inquiries he has can be to them. This is the name of Dr. Barnett's attorney. Any further contact with Dr. Barnett can be made through him."

Randly's lips thinned as he slipped the card into the breast pocket of his suit jacket.

"You are making a mistake, Dr. Carter," he said tightly. "You have no idea who you're dealing with."

"Good day, Mr. Randly," Kerri snapped. "You know your way out."

He glanced at Kerri and forced a smile. "Consider the offer, Dr. Weaver. Just remember that it's contingent…"

"I said good-bye, Mr. Randly."

He stooped to pick up his briefcase and left the room with a confident swagger that was at odds with what had just happened. Ray could only sit in the seat, absolutely stunned by it all. He would never have expected that both Carter and Dr. Weaver would defend him.

"Can someone please tell me what the hell that was all about?" Kerri asked sharply.

Ray glanced at Carter in surprise.

"You didn't tell her?" he asked.

"You should know better than that," Carter said tightly. "I don't disclose personal information about those under my supervision."

"Well someone had better tell me what's going on," Kerri said, her tone harsh with anger. She turned her glare on Ray. "Well, Barnett? Explain to me why I have an attorney offering to donate an insane amount of money to the hospital if I fire you."

Ray could only gape at her, sickened by the lows to which his father had sunk. He thought of Emily, just a couple of floors down in Wendell's office. This would scare her beyond reason if she found out about it.

"And what did you tell him?" he asked warily.

"I didn't give him an answer," she said, her expression hardening further. "I don't like threats, and I don't like feeling like a pawn in someone's twisted little game. Now what in God's name is going on?"

Ray glanced at Carter and pushed from his chair.

"Emily's down in Wendell's office," he said. "I have to be there."

Carter nodded.

"Go on down. I'll fill Dr. Weaver in on the situation and be there shortly."

Ray nodded his thanks and, with an apology to Kerri, left the office.

His stomach was rolling as he took the elevator down to Wendell's floor. What if Randly had found out that she was at the hospital? What if his father made good on his threat? Those questions haunted Ray, but not as much as the final question; what if the man just decided to come to Chicago and take care of things himself? Ray hadn't fared well against him the last time they had gone toe to toe. Ray had come a long way since then and could take care of himself, but he had more than himself to worry about. Emily couldn't defend herself like he could. She was still just a child. Then there was Neela to think about. The thought of his father laying a hand on her made his blood go cold and then hot as a bonfire. If anything should happen to her…

He nearly ran down the hall toward Wendell's office, suddenly needing to assure himself that they were safe. The scene in Weaver's office had shaken him more than he wanted to admit. He couldn't get the sight of Randly's face out of his mind when he'd told Carter that they had no idea who they were dealing with. He was wrong. Ray knew all too well who they were going up against, and it wasn't comforting.

He barely knocked as he entered Wendell's office. The relief he felt at finding Emily and Neela both there and safe left him exhausted. He leaned against the door, trying to catch his breath. Neela frowned with concern and stood to cross the room.

"What's wrong?" she asked under her breath, taking his hands in hers.

"Nothing now," he told her as he gave in to his impulse to just hold her. She melted against him without reservation, easing the tension he'd been feeling since Weaver's office.

"Are you all right?" she asked softly, her concern shining in her eyes as she pulled back to look at his face.

Neela narrowed her eyes when he just nodded. She didn't like the look in his eyes. It was more the startled look of a cornered animal than the confident man that she knew. Something had happened in Dr. Weaver's office that had thrown him. She could feel it in the air around him, but it would do no good to question him on it now. He'd tell her when he was ready.

"Everything's all right." He let his eyes wander to the other people in the room. Heat flooded his face when he saw Wendell smiling behind her hand and Emily rolling her eyes.

"Dr. Barnett?"

Ray glanced to his right to find a well-dressed man coming toward him with his hand outstretched. Ray frowned; sure he'd never met the man before. His severe crew cut was so short that the scalp showed through. Blue eyes, alive with sharp intelligence seemed to miss nothing as he met Ray's frown directly.

"We spoke earlier on the phone. I'm William Ramsey."

Ray nodded, suddenly reassured. More than anything, he was grateful. It was rare in his experience to meet an attorney that actually kept his word. He took the man's hand in a handshake that nearly broke his fingers.

"Good to meet you, sir. Thanks for…"

"Don't thank me," the man laughed. "After what you told me this morning, it's my pleasure. I really do love a good fight."

Ray smiled uncertainly, but couldn't help but grin when he saw the twinkle in Ramsey's eyes. The lawyer had been absolutely livid when he'd discovered that Ray's father was a lawyer using his connections to cover up his crimes.

"And this," Ramsey said moving to the side, "Is Detective Ramirez of the Chicago PD. She'll be investigating the case."

The woman that came forward didn't look like she could stand against a hard breeze let alone the biggest shark in Philadelphia's waters. She was smaller than Neela with a short pixie haircut. Her hand was nearly swallowed up in Ray's when he shook it and felt as frail as a bird's wing. There was no mistaking the bright fervor in her dark eyes, though her face gave away nothing.

"I've just been taking Emily's statement," she said quietly, her voice calm and even. It was a lower timbre than Ray had expected, and he hid his surprise by looking at Emily. "She's told me some fascinating things, I must say."

"Yes?" Ray glanced back to the detective, alerted by her tone.

"Yes," she said. "I would be very interested in seeing the police logs in Philly." Her lips thinned, the first sign in her stoic expression of her inner feelings. "I've already been in contact with Internal Affairs here in Chicago to see what can be done."

He looked at Emily in shock, and she shrugged.

"I'm young, but I'm not stupid, Ray. I knew that there was something wrong the night you tried to take me away."

Ray swallowed, grateful that Neela was there or he would have just sunk to his knees. He'd hoped that she would never know the full extent of what had happened that night, but it seemed that she did. He glanced back at the detective.

"Do you think we have a case?" he asked hoarsely.

"Oh, yes," she said with a predatory grin. "I'd say that this case would be the end all be all of cases."

Ramsey laughed heartily, and Ray gave him a bewildered look. This wasn't really the time for laughter.

"Detective Ramirez lives for this sort of thing," he explained. He grinned at the tiny woman beside him. "She's like a bulldog. Small, but deadly."

A knock on the door cut short any retort that the detective was about to launch into. Carter stuck his head in the door, his gaze taking in everyone in the room. He smiled at Ramsey and entered with his hand out.

"Good to see you, Will."

"No problem, John. It's been a long time since I've had a case I could really sink my teeth into."

Carter smiled and went through the introduction to the detective before turning to Ray and Neela.

"Can I see you both in the hall?"

They glanced at each other warily and nodded, following him into the hall. Neela couldn't help but look at Ray, a thousand questions milling about in her mind. She wondered again, just what had happened in Weaver's office to put him in such a state? It was as if he were fraying at the edges without a hope of coming together again. What disturbed her most of all, was the white look of shock when he'd looked at Emily. He had never come out and said what exactly had happened that night, but now she wondered if he hadn't, yet again, downplayed the incident.

"You have problems, Ray."

She snapped out of her reverie at Carter's words.

"What now?"

She flinched at the deadened tone in Ray's voice.

"There was a call to your apartment building. Someone broke in and trashed the place."

"And how do you know this?" Neela asked, ignoring the pounding in her heart and the sudden feeling of wavering unreality that flowed through her.

"The building super was brought in to the ER with some minor contusions and a concussion. Whoever it was knocked him out and just went right in."

Ray glanced down at Neela and his grip on her hand tightened to the point of pain. She could see the bright hatred in his eyes and could almost hear what he was thinking. _What if Emily had been there? What if you had been there?_

"Do they know who it was?" Ray asked tightly.

"The super didn't get a look. He was hit from behind." Carter glanced at the door behind them and back again. "The fact is, Ray, that you should all find a place to stay until this is under control."

Ray's jaw tightened, and he dropped Neela's hand to pace.

"I don't have anywhere…" He stopped pacing to look at Neela. She was watching him with an expression of awe. He wondered if she had ever seen him this scattered. He doubted it. Even when the balcony had collapsed and half of his friends had been hurt; he'd still kept his composure. But this was different. This was his family they were talking about; Neela and Emily, and that changed everything. All bets were off when it came to their safety. And he didn't have a damn clue as to what to do.

"Then come to my place," Carter said. "I have plenty of room and a security system that rivals Ft. Knox. Will has a key card and can come and go whenever he needs to."

"I can't do that, John."

Carter's expression tightened.

"You can, Barnett. Your father isn't playing by the rules and you damn well know it." He looked at Neela. "I don't want to lose two of my best doctors because you want to be stubborn."

"He's right, Ray," she said quietly. "We need to worry about Emily's safety. After all that's happened, we can't afford to say no."

He closed his eyes and turned away with his hands on his hips. Neela waited, unsure of what he would say. He was not behaving as she had expected, but she had never experienced what he had. She didn't know what lengths he had gone to in order to stay sane. She moved to stand beside him, touching his arm as she tried to reach him.

"Think of Emily," she whispered.

He glanced at her, his eyes burning with some dark emotion she couldn't begin to fathom.

"I'm trying to think about both of you," he said harshly. His tone startled her, but she refused to back off. She wasn't so much afraid of him as she was for him. What was this doing to him inside?

"Then say yes," she told him, sliding her arms around him. He was rigid against her for a moment before he suddenly relaxed and wrapped his arms around her in a fierce hug. He lifted his head to look at Carter.

"We'll have to pack some things up," he said tonelessly. "When would be the best time..?"

"I've already got a car ready," Carter said. "And I have your shifts covered for a while."

"And how did you manage that?" Ray asked bitterly, earning a frown from Neela.

"I have my ways," Carter said cryptically and offered a small smile. "I'll go in and acquaint Will with the situation. When the detective is finished with Emily, you can go to the apartment and get whatever you'll need."

"Thank you, Dr. Carter," Neela said. He nodded and disappeared inside the office, leaving them alone. She waited until the door was closed before she turned on Ray.

"What is wrong with you?" she asked harshly. "He's offering to help, and you're acting like he just spit on you."

"You don't understand, Neela," he shot back, equally irritated. "This isn't about Carter."

"Then what is it about? Talk to me!" she cried out when he turned away from her. She grabbed his arm and made him look at her. "What is this about?"

He shook his head, the muscles in his jaw clenching over and over.

"I can't talk about this right now," he said finally. "I have to make sure that Emily…"

"She's fine, Ray. She's handling herself ruddy well better than you are at the moment." She paused. "It's you that I'm worried about."

His expression softened as he turned back to her, searching her eyes. He brushed his thumb over her eyebrow and down her face to cup her cheek in his palm. She placed her hand over his and could only wait breathlessly for what he would say. He leaned toward her, pressing his lips lightly to hers.

"I don't deserve you," he whispered, resting his forehead against hers and closing his eyes. "I don't deserve you at all," he said again, before pulling away and following Carter into the office.

Neela stood there, staring at the door, feeling dazed. Her heart was pounding in her ears until she couldn't hear. She could still feel the warmth of his hand on her cheek where he'd touched her. She swallowed back the tears she felt burning her eyes. She could barely breathe for the emotions that rolled through her chest. She wasn't sure what he had meant by what he had said, but she didn't like what she had felt from him the moment he'd said them. It was as if he was saying good-bye.

She clenched her fists, suddenly hating his father as she had never hated anyone in her life. This was his bloody fault. He'd done all he could to destroy two lives and was not finished yet. She knew instinctively that Ray was struggling. The look of fear in his eyes when he'd come to Wendell's office was enough to convince her. That was not like him at all, and it infuriated her that the man could do that to him. She took a deep breath, trying to pull herself together. She wouldn't do him any good by having a meltdown. He needed her to hold it together.

When she felt as if she could hide the worry she was feeling, she pulled open the door and went inside where Ray waited. She would help him through this whether he wanted her to or not. It was about time that he learned just how stubborn Neela Rasgotra could really be.


	14. Chapter 14

_Hello, everyone! We know that we didn't put an author's note at the beginning of Chapter 13, and we apologize. :)All we can say is that one took a lot out of us, and we just...forgot, sorry. We want to thank everyone who reviewed. We always welcome your comments and suggestions. We hope that you'll like this chapter just as much as the last! _

_Yours, as always,_

_butterflyswest and Erin Allen_

14

They left the hospital in a silence so heavy that Neela felt suffocated by it. She kept glancing at Ray, willing him to look at her, but he kept his attention on whatever was going on inside his head. With a sigh she followed Emily into the car that Carter had called for them, barely seeing the evidence of Carter Family money in the posh leather seats they sat in. Emily did, and examined everything with a discerning eye that was at odds with her years.

"This year is so much nicer than the one Dad has," she said almost smugly, running her hands over the leather next to her. Neela almost cringed at the animosity in the look Ray gave her. He said nothing, but his message was clear. _Don't talk about him…_

Emily, as usual, ignored the warning and continued to chatter away, even engaging the stone faced driver in a conversation about the differences in this car or that one. Neela would have smiled had she not been so on edge. Emily was the type of girl that would never be subdued for long. She was child with all the resilience that went with it, but the knowledge of experience to temper it. An amazing combination in one so young.

Neela only wished that Ray could follow her example. But then, he'd been suffering far longer than she had.

When the car pulled to a stop in front of their apartment building, there was only one patrol car parked at the curb. One officer approached them while his partner listened to the rantings of a madman standing beside the car. Neela was only half surprised when she got a good look and discovered that it was Brett yelling at the top of his lungs.

"There you are!" he said, trying to get around the second cop. "Will you tell Tweedle Dee and Dum here that you know me?"

"Its all right," Ray said. "He's here to help us get our stuff."

"See? I'm here to help," he said to the cop, who looked as if Ray was just as insane for knowing someone like Brett. He stepped back, allowing Brett to pass.

"You'd think that I was the one that broke in," Brett muttered under his breath as he straitened his clothes with exaggerated gestures.

"You have. Numerous times," Neela reminded him as she followed Ray up the steps and into the building. Brett made a face at her.

"Having a key is not the same as breaking in," he retorted. Turning to Emily, he settled his arm around her shoulders. "Hey there, Brat! Had some excitement today I hear?"

"Aren't you supposed to be at work?" she asked, ducking out from under his arm.

"Yep," he said cheerfully.

Neela glanced at him over her shoulder.

"Don't tell me that you quit already?"

"Nah. I'll probably get fired after this. I couldn't stay away after I heard what happened. So what do you think, Barnett? You think it's too late for me to go to medical school?"

Ray shook his head and continued up the steps to their floor without a pause. Neela frowned at his back, and she could see that Brett was just as puzzled by it.

"Don't you have to be able to read to get into med school?" Emily asked with a smirk and took off up the stairs as Brett made to grab her. He sighed and shook his head in mock disgust.

"These kids today," he said with a sigh as he caught up with Neela at the landing. She raised an eyebrow.

"Being of the same mentality, you would know."

"True enough," he admitted without remorse. "But why waste time growing up?" He paused, pulling her to a stop. "Speaking of grown-ups, what's wrong with Ray?"

Neela bit her lip and glanced back down the hall.

"I'm not sure exactly," she said softly. She turned away then, unwilling to let him see how worried she was. She didn't have the answer to his question. Only Ray could answer that, and he wasn't speaking at the moment.

When she entered the apartment, she didn't have the time to think about it anymore. Shock burned away any thoughts she might have had as her gaze traveled over the wreckage in the front room. She heard Brett whistle softly behind her, but even that was distant to her numbed senses.

The living room was utterly destroyed. Sofa cushions were askew or on the floor. Her books and Ray's CD collection were laid waste across the floor and every other available surface. Several loose pages lay like broken butterflies near the bookshelf. She glanced into the kitchen to find shattered crockery on the counter and in the sink. The fridge stood open and, without thought, she went over and quietly closed it. She returned to the living room, wondering where Ray had gotten to.

She didn't have far to go. He was kneeling on the floor, the broken pieces of a CD in one hand, and the shattered remains of his acoustic guitar in his lap. Neela covered her mouth with her hand, a stab of anguish clutching at her heart. She could only imagine the agony he was feeling at the moment.

"Ray…Oh, God, your guitar…"

He nodded and shoved the instrument away from him to jump to his feet. For a moment, his eyes met hers, and the pain in them nearly tore her in two. Then his expression went dead again, leaving her cold as ice. He backed away from her, as if the sight of her was more than he could stand.

"We'd better pack up what we have left," he said tightly, and headed for his room, leaving Neela standing in the middle of the room.

"Jesus," Brett breathed, stepping gingerly over the detritus that littered the floor. "I've never seen him like that before." He rounded the couch, saw the guitar lying in a heap of broken wood and steel strings, and his jaw tightened. "No fucking wonder," he growled, bending over to pick up the pieces. He examined them carefully. "This is…_was_ his prized possession," he told her, anger coloring his voice. "B.B. King played this guitar."

Neela had no idea who B.B. King was, but by the awe and fury in Brett's tone, she could guess that it was someone important, someone Ray would know and care a great deal about.

"Can it be fixed?" she asked quietly.

Brett shook his head, letting the remains drop to the floor.

"No, it can't. Even if it could, it wouldn't be the same."

Tears sprang to her eyes, and she brushed them away impatiently.

"I should go see what was touched in my room," she told him as she passed, heading down the hall to her room.

Emily was already there, stuffing clothes into a large gym bag she'd dug from the bottom of Neela's closet. Her lips were thinned with anger as she worked, jamming clothes indiscriminately into any nook or cranny left in the bag. She looked up as Neela entered, but went just as quickly back to her manic pace.

"Did you see that shit?" she asked, though she knew that Neela would have seen it just coming through the front door. "I can't believe this. That bastard!"

The last was said through clenched teeth, but Neela still flinched at the profanity coming from the girl.

"Emily…" she began, but cut off as a brush flew across the room to land in the corner.

"Why won't he just leave us alone, Neela?" she suddenly burst out. "Hasn't he hurt us enough without this?"

Neela crossed the room and took her into her arms. Emily turned toward her, clutching at her coat with both fists and crying as if her heart was about to break. Neela muttered soothing words as she held her, just letting her cry. Neela didn't have the answers to those questions either, and felt the lack. A noise at the door drew her attention, her heart stopping when she saw Ray standing there. He placed a hand on the doorframe and closed his eyes as he lowered his head. Neela watched the muscles in his jaw work for a few seconds, before he turned and left the room without a word. Tears came to her eyes and this time she let them fall. She could feel his pain, could feel Emily's pain and it broke her apart that she couldn't just fix everything. She was a doctor. It was her job to make the pain go away, but she couldn't do it this time.

Finally, she pulled away and wiped Emily's tears, helping her get their things together for an extended stay at Carter's. She wasn't sure how long this was going to take, but she refused to take chances and packed nearly every article of clothing the two of them owned. They dragged the suitcase and gym bag into the living room just as Ray and Brett left his room with two garbage bags bulging at the seams.

"Do you have everything you'll need?" Ray asked, his voice strangely devoid of emotion. "We're not coming back here until this is finished."

Neela nodded mutely at the freezing tone. It was as if he had died inside. That all of this had killed whatever spirit he'd been able to claim. He didn't even look at her as he passed her, heaving the bag he carried over his shoulder. Neela gave Brett a beseeching look, but he could only shrug helplessly. So Ray hadn't even opened up to his best friend. That was not a good sign.

The driver helped them with their things, managing to keep his expression blank at the sight of the garbage bags. Brett took the time to stare at every part of the car with a greedy expression of awe.

"Nice wheels," he remarked to the driver. "What's under the hood?"

The driver looked at him blankly, his expression never changing. If Neela didn't know better, she would have believed he'd been turned to stone.

"Don't worry about him," Emily said. "He's touched."

The chauffer nodded sagely and slammed the trunk shut, doing his best to ignore Brett. He did a remarkable job, settling into the driver's seat and slamming the door in Brett's face.

"Well, that was uncalled for," Brett said as he backed away. He glanced over at Ray and pointed his finger. "I'll follow you over."

Ray frowned.

"You don't have to come with us."

"Yeah, I do. I want to check out where you're gonna be staying. If this guy has enough dough to afford this car, then I have _got_ to see his house."

Ray cursed under his breath and settled in the car beside Emily. Neela delayed getting in as long as she could before she too slid in. She was not looking forward to another silent ride with Ray. Damn it! If he would only talk to her! But he seemed to think that he couldn't. Or he just simply wouldn't. She slumped in her seat as it pulled away from the curb, feeling her failure to help him in every strained beat of her heart.

By the time the city streets gave way to affluent lawns and trees, she was ready to scream. All she could think were the words "_talk to me_" in a silent plea for him to just open up to her, as he'd done since they had started living together. But his face remained stoic and still as he stared out the window at the neatly mown lawns passing the windows.

When they finally pulled into the blacktop circular drive of Carter's home, she was ready to escape the crushing silence. She barely waited for the car to come to a stop before she jumped out, pulling great breaths of cold air into her lungs. She turned to watch as Brett's van pulled in behind them, looking like a cockroach in a champagne glass. She was sure that the rattling frame could be heard all the way back to their apartment as he bounded out and slammed the door. He ambled around the front of the van, his eyes missing nothing as he looked around.

"This is nice," he drawled as he turned slowly in a circle.

"I'm glad you like it," Carter said from the front steps. "And you are?"

"Brett. Good to meet you."

"John Carter."

"So what does something like this cost?" Brett asked as he neared the steps to shake his hand.

"Brett!" Neela admonished, before she turned to Carter. "What are you doing here?" she asked as she took the bag that the driver handed over. "I thought you were on duty."

Carter smiled and came toward them, eyeing Brett, who was again begging to look under the hood, with an amused smirk.

"I thought I'd help you get settled in.

"That wasn't necessary," Ray said, as he took one of the garbage bags and heaved it to his shoulder.

Carter gave him a strange look at his sharp tone. He narrowed his eyes, but said nothing as he turned toward the house.

"Follow me, and I'll show you where you'll be staying."

Ray started for the house behind Carter with Emily a step behind, clutching the gym bag in both hands. Neela sighed and hefted the suitcase, holding her arm out for balance. Brett managed to stop pestering the driver long enough to take the other garbage bag.

"Dr. Neela," he said quietly as they neared the door. She turned to look at him, surprised by his tone, which was more than subdued. He sounded downright worried, a first for Brett.

"Listen, I know I act like an ass most of the time, but I want you to know that…Ray's my best friend. I don't know what's going on with him right now, but it isn't good."

"I know," she choked out.

"Promise me that you'll ignore him acting like a jerk and help him." He rubbed the back of his neck and looked down at his shoes as if uncomfortable. "He needs you more than he wants to admit."

She swallowed hard and nodded. She didn't trust herself to speak at the moment. She could only watch as Brett returned her nod and entered the house. She looked at the sky above her, broken only by the bare skeletons of tree branches and blinked back tears. She hoped to God that she could fulfill that promise.

With a deep breath, she turned to follow Brett just in time to hear him say, "Can I play your stereo? I have a CD in the van that I'd kill to hear on these speakers."

She rolled her eyes, closing the door behind her. At least Brett recovered quickly. She only prayed that she could help Ray do the same.

000000000000

Darkness was falling before they were settled. Carter had given them an entire wing of the mansion he called a home, telling them that he didn't use it anyway. Even Brett had gone silent with awe at the opulent surroundings, and Neela was almost pathetically grateful. He was starting to grate on her already raw nerves. When he finally left, she breathed a sigh of relief at the sudden silence.

"You have…interesting friends, Barnett," was all that Carter could say once he was gone. Neela smiled behind her hand, remembering what Emily had said just a few days before. She got the feeling that Carter was amused by Brett's antics.

"Yeah," was all Ray said. Neela looked at him sharply as he pushed from his seat. "I'm going to bed," he said in that emotionless tone that was all he'd been able to muster since they'd left the apartment. "Thanks, Carter. For everything."

"No problem. Get some rest and we'll talk more tomorrow."

Ray nodded and headed toward their room without looking back. Neela exchanged a glance with Emily and could see that the girl was just as upset by his behavior as she was.

"Is he mad at me?" she asked uncertainly.

"Of course not," Neela assured her. "He's just had a very trying day." She stood. "I believe that I'll go to bed too," she told them. "Don't stay up too late, Emily."

She left the room amidst mumbled good nights and went in search of Ray. She was at her limit with his behavior. If he wouldn't talk to her, then she would bloody well bully him into it. Almost one full day of the silent treatment was making her daft. She stopped at the door to the room that she and Ray were sharing and resisted the urge to knock. This was her room too, after all. Bracing herself for battle, she opened the door.

The room was dark but for the moonlight from the window. As her eyes adjusted, she found him sitting at the window seat, staring out at the grounds. He was nothing more than a silhouette, but she couldn't miss the hard set of his jaw or the rigid line of his shoulders.

"Ray?"

He didn't answer her, continuing to stare out at the nighttime landscape as if he would find there the answers to his questions. She crossed the room to stand beside him, taking the seat next to him as she looked into his face. Her heart lurched in her chest at the absolute misery she found written there.

"Ray, talk to me. Please."

He closed his eyes and shook his head.

"I can't."

She frowned and scooted toward him, taking his hands in hers.

"Please, Ray. I can't help you unless you talk to me…"

He yanked his hands away and shoved from the seat to back away from her.

"Don't you understand, Neela? I can't talk about it. I won't. Its bad enough that Emily knows…"

He blew out a breath and laced his hands in his hair. His back hit the corner post of the bed as he retreated. His knees gave way, and she leapt to his side as he slowly slid down to sit on the floor.

"I don't think I can take this shit anymore," he whispered, and the pain in his voice broke her heart.

"Tell me what's wrong, Ray. Something happened today…"

"Do you know why I finally left, Neela? Do you have any idea?"

She remained silent when he raised his head to look at her miserably.

"I finally left because I'm a coward." He spat the words bitterly, letting his hands fall to his sides. "And Emily knows. I couldn't protect her then. I can't protect her now." He turned his head to look at her, his eyes burning. "And I can't protect you."

"That's not true, Ray," Neela said quietly, but he just shook his head.

"Look what happened at the apartment, Neela! What if we hadn't decided to take Emily with us? What if you had been there?" He swallowed and shook his head. "If anything happens to either of you, I couldn't take it."

"Ray, nothing is going to happen to us. We're safe here…"

He gave a short bark of laughter. "He offered Weaver money to fire me."

Neela froze, her breath catching in her throat. "What?"

"He sent that lawyer to Dr. Weaver and offered to donate money to the hospital if she would fire me." He sighed and leaned his head back against the bed. "It's happening all over again, Neela, and there isn't a damn thing I can do to stop it."

"Ray, I don't understand. What..?"

"He did the same thing when I went to med school. Offered to build a new wing if the president would expel me."

She clamped her lips together and could only listen in mute horror. She wondered just how such a monster could live in this world. Shesaw things in the ER everyday that had made her want to cry, but she had never heard of a father trying so thoroughly to destroy his own son. It was enough to make her stomach turn and her heart break.

"Do you want to know why I really left, Neela?" he continued slowly. "Why I never went back? It was because I was afraid, OK? I was afraid that he would kill Emily, and I was afraid that he would kill me. The night I left for good, I let him have Emily rather than die. How's that for brave?"

Neela shivered, her blood suddenly running cold. He'd said it so…matter-of-factly…as if this sort of thing were commonplace. All the words she could have spoken dried to dust in her mouth, choking her.

"Tell me," she finally managed to say, though she struggled to breathe.

Ray glanced at her, taking in the sight of the moonlight that danced across her skin. She was so beautiful that it hurt to look at her. Especially knowing that, once he told her, once she knew his darkest secret, she would leave him. He clenched his jaw against the agony that that idea brought on, but maybe that would be for the best. If his father didn't know that Ray cared about her, then maybe he would leave her alone. He slid his hand from hers, his heart already aching, and crossed his arms on his knees.

"I told you that I tried to take her away once. What I didn't tell you was that I tried to kill the bastard when I did."

"W-what?"

He winced and pushed on, determined to get this out once and for all.

"She started crying when I got her out of bed, and he heard. I was halfway down the stairs with her when he came at me. Mom grabbed Emily, and I thought she took her upstairs. I was wrong about that, because she knows what happened. I was too busy dealing with him." He snorted derisively. "Not that I could do much. My arm was broken, and I had three cracked ribs from the day before when he'd told me that he should have done the world a favor and drowned me at birth."

He saw her turn her head, biting her lip at that. A small sound escaped her lips that sounded like a sob, but he couldn't be sure. He was deep in his memory now and there was no turning back this time. He was going to tell this or he would go crazy. He'd been on the razor's edge since Weaver's office. If he didn't get rid of this, then he was going to fall, and he didn't know if he could ever come back. He took a deep breath.

"I remember going for the fireplace poker. I could barely hold it because of the cast. He laughed at me. Said I didn't have the balls to hit him. Then he turned his back on me. Like he knew that I wouldn't do it. Mom came in, crying, holding the phone in her hand. She was talking so fast that I couldn't understand what she was saying. He grabbed the phone out of her hand and threw it against the wall." He frowned and squeezed his eyes shut. "I remember her screaming at him to stop, please stop and then she looked at me and told me to just go. Leave. The son of a bitch turned around and smirked at me." He laughed harshly. "There I was, just standing there with this thing in my hand. I couldn't even hold it right. I don't know what the hell I thought I was going to do. I could hear sirens in the distance and panicked. Mom had called the police. That's why I think he stopped. If she hadn't called, I really think he would have killed me."

He turned to look at her. She was sitting beside him; so close that their legs touched, but she might as well have been a thousand miles away for all that he felt he had the right to touch her. Her hands were over her mouth and tears spilled freely from her eyes unchecked.

"You see now, why I haven't gone back to get her. I was afraid. And now, he's going to come here. I've already proven that I can't protect her from him. He's been doing to her exactly what he did to me. I didn't do a thing to stop it. I just went on with my life, playing gigs, drinking beer…"

"Saving lives," Neela broke in. "You've saved so many lives, Ray."

"But what did I do for my sister?" he suddenly shouted. "I didn't do a damn thing for her when she needed me. If I had just…"

"What could you have done, Ray?" she shot back, heaving a great lungful of air. "Killing him wouldn't have solved a bloody thing."

"If I had, I wouldn't be worrying about how to keep her safe now. I wouldn't be worried about what could have happened if you had stayed home today…"

His breath caught, and he stopped speaking then. His chest tightened painfully. It was all he could do to breathe just thinking how close he had come to losing her. If she had stayed home with Emily…

She touched his arm, and he couldn't stand it anymore. He didn't know why she hadn't just run as fast and as far as she could when he'd told her the truth, but he wasn't about to question his good luck. With a low groan, he pulled her into his arms and held her as tightly as he could. His eyes burned, and he blinked them, surprised when he felt hot tears slide down his cheeks. He couldn't seem to stop and buried his face in her neck; letting her hands in his hair and her soft voice soothe him.

"I wouldn'tlive through itif anything happened to you," he said, tangling his fingers in her hair. "It's the one thing that would break me."

She pulled back to look in his eyes, her heart pounding at the sight of the tears on his face. Framing his face with her hands, she leaned in to kiss him.

"You're not going to lose me, Ray. He can't hurt any of us anymore."

He searched her eyes, wanting to believe, needing to believe what she said.

"How do you know?" he asked.

"Because, you silly oaf, I love you. We'll take care of each other."

That afternoon, he would never have believed that he could laugh again, but he did now. Gathering her close, he let the tension of the day seep from his body. His ugly secret was out, and she was still here. She still loved him. The guilt he'd been carrying around all these years was slowly fading with each day he spent with her. It was more that he could have thought possible.

"Neela."

"Yes?"

"He has a lot to pay for."

"I know."

"That guitar was worth a fortune."

She shoved him back, her mouth agape, before she saw the grin on his face.

"You are insufferable!" she said, trying to look shocked, but not quite managing.

He stood, pulling her to her feet beside him. He stooped, lifting her into his arms and tossing her onto the bed.

"I'll show you insufferable," he growled, as he followed her down.


	15. Chapter 15

_Hi everyone! Yes, we too found a way around the system! Thanks to Moonlight Enchantments for the tip! Love ya, sweetie! So, we know that everyone has been waiting for the new chapter. We've been really busy with a lot of other things so we're sorry that it took so long. We hope that this will make up for that. Please, let us know what you think of this one, just as you all have in the past. We love to hear from you. We have a little bet going on who will be first...lol! (we know...we're bad) Can't wait to hear from you..._:)

_Yours, as always,_

_butterflyswest and Erin Allen_

15

The three of them settled into an uneasy existence at Carter's home. Despite the lush surroundings, the likes of which even Ray had not seen, he was waiting. Waiting for the moment that it would all come crashing down. He hadn't lost Neela with his painful confession, but he couldn't help but feel as if it was only a matter of time before something happened. It pissed him off to feel like that. That wasn't him anymore. At one time, yes, but that had been long ago and far away. He was a different man than the one who had run from his father's house all those years ago. He was stronger than that.

And he was ready to fight.

It was two days before he heard anything from Will Ramsey. Ray was surfing the web on Carter's computer while Neela and Emily played some obnoxious game that Neela had brought over from England. He'd never been able to get the hang of it, but Emily had taken to it quickly. Ray winced at Emily's shrill squeal as she won. He glanced over at them and raised an eyebrow.

"I told you that she catches on quick," he told Neela when she scowled in disbelief.

"I just can't bloody believe that she could learn that quickly," she groused as she gathered up the cards. She pointedly ignored Emily as the girl began to do an energetic victory dance right there in the den. Ray laughed.

"Cut it out, squirt. That's not cool."

She stopped and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Really? Then why do you do that to me every time you beat me at something?"

Ray grinned and turned back to the computer.

"Because then I'm trying to help you build character."

"Seems to me that she has enough character," Neela said sourly, tapping the deck of cards on the table, as she pinned him with a glare. "She acts just like you."

The phone rang, and Ray snatched it up, grateful for the reprieve. He didn't want to get into a discussion about his past and likely future behavior.

"Hello?" he said, smiling smugly at Neela. The look in her eyes promised that the session of "let's cut on Ray" was far from over.

"Ray? Will Ramsey here."

Ray's humor immediately dried up. He fought the urge to just grab Emily and run. He didn't need to hide, but it was hard to remember that when he knew what he was dealing with.

"Mr. Ramsey," he said, glancing at Neela. Her head snapped up to look at him, her eyes widening. He gave Emily a meaningful look and she nodded in answer to his unspoken question.

"Why don't we go to the kitchen and see what we can find to eat," she said to the girl.

Emily shot Ray a half fearful look and went without protest, her mood quickly going somber. Neela gave him an encouraging smile before following her from the room. Ray took a deep breath.

"Have you found out anything?" he asked the lawyer, deciding to come right to the point.

"Actually, I have," Will said, and Ray felt his heart quicken at the grave tone.

"I take it that it's not good."

"I'd just rather speak to you in person," Ramsey said. "This isn't a matter to be discussed over the phone. Will you be there for the next hour or so?"

"Yeah. I don't have a reason to leave right now. Neela and I are on leave until this is cleared up."

"Good idea," the man said, and his tone sent Ray's pulse up another notch. "Just sit tight and I'll be there as soon as I can."

He hung up, and Ray could only stare at the dead phone in his hand, wishing he could just read minds. He didn't hear Neela come into the room and almost came out of his skin when she touched him.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

"I don't know. Ramsey's coming over to talk to me. He didn't sound encouraging."

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry over," she said, but didn't sound convincing. He took her hand and gave it a squeeze to show that he appreciated the effort she was making.

"I don't know," he repeated. "I didn't like the tone of his voice."

She said nothing, but the soft kiss she gave him did much to thaw the ice that was now forming around him. He stood and gave her a tight hug.

"I'm going for a walk until he gets here," he said. He had to get out of there for a minute. He needed to move or else he would go nuts. She nodded, and gave him a kiss before she moved aside and let him go.

Neela shook her head as she watched him leave the room. She wanted to go after him, to hold him and tell him that everything would be all right, but she sensed that he wanted to be alone for a while. And she didn't want to lie to him. She didn't know the future any more than he did. For all she knew, everything could go to hell in a hand-basket with no more provocation than a misspoken word. Everything hinged on what William Ramsey could accomplish.

She returned to the kitchen, to find Emily. She doubted very much if Ray was hungry. Emily was the only one of them that didn't seem to be suffering from such anxiety. She was eating with all the enthusiasm of a teenager and talking to the kitchen staff as if they were old friends. Neela wished that she could have that kind of faith. She looked up as Neela came into the room.

"Is everything all right?" she asked, betraying her true feelings. She and Ray were alike in so many ways, but this was not one of them. Ray kept his feelings right there in view. Anyone who looked close enough would know what Ray Barnett was feeling. Emily hid her inner emotions behind a wall of chatter and adolescent enthusiasm.

"Mr. Ramsey is coming," Neela said carefully. "He wants to talk to your brother."

Emily was silent for a long moment, her eyes never leaving Neela's face. Finally, she sighed.

"Did he say what he wanted?"

"No. I don't think so."

The girl forced a smile and pushed aside her plate.

"Well, so much for lunch." She rose from her stool. "I think I'll go online for a while. See what I can get into."

Neela watched her go, her hatred for their father again burning her blood. It sickened her that a father could do this to his children, so that even into adulthood, they were feeling his poisonous influence. Fathers were supposed to be loving, supportive, and protective…even a bit annoying in a loveable sort of way. They were not meant to be manipulative, cruel, or violent toward the very people that they were put on earth to take care of. It went against everything that Neela had ever been taught to see just those things in Ray's father.

She left the kitchen without eating. Just like Emily, she was no longer hungry. She was, in point of fact, a bit sick. Her barely suppressed anxiety was eating at her. God, how she wanted to just make this all go away! For Ray and Emily, but also for herself. She wanted to really begin her life with Ray. Now that she had finally come to grips with what she felt for him, it all felt suddenly precarious. She understood exactly what Ray felt when he worried that this would all be cruelly ripped away. She had never felt that way before, as if the whole world was about to slip through her grasp. But then, she'd never had anything that meant this much to her. Until now.

She was in a truly dark mood when William Ramsey knocked on the door only thirty minutes later. She did her best to keep herself composed, to keep a lock on her emotions, but she didn't do a very good job apparently. The lawyer gave her a small smile of understanding at her sharp tone when she greeted him.

"I'm sorry," she said, taking a deep breath. "I'm just feeling the strain."

"I understand," he said, following her into the large family room. "This sort of thing can get sticky for everyone involved." He laughed without humor. "Of course, this one is about as bad as any I've ever seen."

Neela's heart sank at his words. And she had been hoping for good news…

Ray rose from the sofa as they approached, and she did her best to hide the fear in her heart. Whatever came of this meeting, she would be strong.

Ray waited until the lawyer was seated before he pounced. He couldn't help it, though he'd told himself to be patient.

"What's going on, Mr. Ramsey?"

Will looked at the young man before him and sighed inwardly, wishing that he'd just gone to barber college. The little Will knew of him, he liked. The man had fire in him, and Jon Carter believed the same thing. If Will had never met Dr. Barnett, Carter's word alone would have been enough. The things that his little sister had described and the atrocities that Ray himself had only hinted at had made him want to hunt their father down and kill him with his bare hands. What he had learned in the past two days had done nothing to change his desire.

He settled back in the chair as Dr. Rasgotra took the space beside Ray. Will hid his smile at the look Ray gave her. There was no mistaking a man in love.

"I got a call from that sorry excuse for a lawyer today," he began without preamble. He was too tired for bullshit, and could sense that Ray was not in the mood for it anyway.

Ray didn't even have to ask whom Ramsey was talking about. It made him feel better to know that he wasn't the only one who felt that way about Randly.

"And?"

Will snorted and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and first finger.

"If that's the kind of man that the Pennsylvania Bar accepts, then I'm glad I live in Illinois. He actually offered a deal."

"What kind of deal? If he wants Emily…"

"Oh, he wants her, make no mistake. He wants her by today. He said that he'd already gone to the police to file charges and thinks that you're about to be arrested. Smug little prick."

"And why would he think that?" Ray asked sharply, his heart in his throat.

"Because he filed the report with Detective Ramirez. She put out a city wide alert to call her if Emily's name came up in any reports." Will laughed. "She may be small, but she has big clout when she wants something. She wanted to see exactly what the man had to say. So when the report was filed, she was there within twenty minutes."

"Isn't that illegal?"

"No. He's not a suspect. He came to them. He's just a representative, though a sad little excuse for one. I would have thought that your father had better taste."

"He doesn't think I'm a threat," Ray said bitterly.

"Alone…maybe not. But I am. I have connections in every major city in this country. I've been on the phone for the last two days. I tell you, son, I'm surprised that the man hasn't been arrested before now."

Ray frowned, confused as to where this was going. He'd thought that he had explained all this before.

"What are you talking about?"

Will grinned, and Ray suppressed the urge to cringe at the predatory smirk.

"I've spent the last two days going through that man's life with a fine toothed comb. I know more about him now than even he does. If he crapped during that time, I'm sure I have documentation telling anyone who cares what color it was. I didn't believe what I found."

"Such as?"

Will tented his fingers in front of him, looking completely relaxed. Ray felt some of his tension leave him. If the man was this confident, then maybe everything would be all right.

"I've had to wade through shit in my career, but what this bastard does makes me look like a damn saint," he said harshly. "On the surface, everything looks kosher. He defends wealthy clients and gets paid insane amounts of money to do so. He wins a majority of his cases. An impressive majority, I might add, and from all we could find out, he wins them legitimately. You don't start to smell the rotten part of the apple until you start looking at his finances."

Ray shook his head in confusion.

"I know he's rich," he said testily. "I don't need you to tell me that."

"Of course not, but do you know where that money comes from? You don't think that he drives a brand new Jag and owns a Mercedes just on the fees his clients pay."

"I never really thought about it," Ray said. "I just assumed…"

"So does everyone else," Ramsey said smugly. "Especially when he has people on his payroll to doctor the books. In the past two days, we've uncovered evidence of billing fraud, real estate fraud, tax evasion…I'm excited just thinking about it."

Ray barely felt Neela's fingers tighten on his, showing her astonishment. Ray could only stare at him. The man was talking about things that could get his father indicted several times over. He was talking jail time of titanic proportions, and all he could say was that he was excited.

"Maybe you should tell me what you have in mind," he said slowly.

Will grinned, rubbing his hands together. He looked for all the world like a kid at Christmas. And why not? If what he said was true, then they had all just been handed the biggest present in the history of gift giving.

"I have to ask, Ray. How far do you want to take this?" he said seriously. "How far do you want to go?"

"What do you mean?"

Will sat forward, his elbows on his knees to pin him with a glare.

"What I mean is, how down and dirty are you willing to get with this man? You say the word, and I could tie him up in so much legal red tape, that your kids will be grandparents before it's all settled." He sighed when Ray only stared at him blankly. "What I'm asking is, do you want revenge on your father, or do you just want this over with?"

Ray leaned back into the sofa, his mind working overtime. He'd never really considered the possibility of revenge. He rifled through his memory, viewing every horrifying bit of his past. The beatings, the humiliation, the hatred he'd held when he was a child for his father. It was all there, though he had believed he'd buried it beyond recall. His pulse raced to think that he could get back at the man, lash out at the one who had done his best to destroy him. He glanced at Neela, who was staring at him with an inscrutable expression on her face.

"What do you think, babe?" he asked her quietly.

"I can't make that choice for you, Ray," she said. "Only you can make that decision."

He nodded, though he wished he could have shucked it off to someone else. He thought of Emily in the other room. She was counting on him to take care of her, to help her. Would she want to be dragged into a long, drawn out affair? For that matter, Ray wasn't sure that he wanted to live with the indecision. They had both been through enough without the pain continuing for years. They had already given years to their father's cruelty.

"Enough is enough," he muttered, before he looked at Will. "I just want this over," he said firmly. "I don't want Emily to suffer anymore."

Something flashed in Will's eyes as he smiled warmly. If Ray didn't know better, he would have sworn that it was admiration. He pulled out his cell phone and a business card.Dialing quickly, hepressed the phone to his ear. His entire demeanor changed in that instant, and Ray saw that he was in lawyer mode. It was frightening how cold the man sounded.

"Mr. Randly. William Ramsey. I have discussed your offer with my client, and he has refused it." He listened for a moment, his expression turning to stone. "I know what you said. I relayed the information to my client. He still refused. Especially when I advised him to do so." He grinned, and glanced at Ray with an almost triumphant expression crossing his features. "I realize what you believe you can do, but the truth is, I am disinclined to deal with you. You call your employer and tell him that he needs to come to Chicago. Advise him that his interests would be best served to deal with me directly. I refuse to deal with one of his peons."

Ray stifled laughter at that and felt Neela shaking with the same. He wished that for just a minute he could be a fly on the wall wherever Randly was. He would have loved to see the look on the bastard's face at Will's assessment of him.

"I don't really care about Mr. Barnett's connections. Nor do I concern myself with his busy schedule. I would think that any father would want to ensure his child's safety personally." He paused, raising one eyebrow. "I don't believe that that will be necessary. The police have already sworn out a statement from Emily herself." He paused again, listening. "Well, you may tell Mr. Barnett that we have a counter offer for him. It will only be made once, and only in person…yes…Oh, and, Randly?…Take my advice. Don't jump in the water if you can't deal with the sharks. Have a nice day."

He flipped the phone shut.

"Little piss-ant actually threatened me with an injunction. He doesn't have the slightest clue who he's screwing with."

"You want my father to come here?" Ray asked incredulously. "Are you out of your mind? I don't want that man anywhere near Emily."

"He won't be," Will assured him quickly. "Trust me. Once he hears what I have to tell him, he won't want to be in the same country as the two of you."

Ray narrowed his eyes. He wasn't one to trust lawyers. It was instinctive on his part to doubt the very air they breathed, but he had been given no reason not to trust this one. He'd done exactly what he promised to do and had done it quickly. Ray glanced at Neela who was watching him expectantly. He knew what she was thinking. _Don't argue, Ray. Just do it._ That look was his undoing. For her, he would do anything.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked resignedly.

As Will began to outline his plans, Ray couldn't help but feel a small stab of fear. His father was coming to Chicago. After three years, he was going to have to face his biggest nightmare, and he was going to have to stay strong. He looked up as Neela squeezed his hand, and he instantly relaxed. At least this time, he wouldn't have to face him alone. Neela would be there beside him. He sat up, feeling stronger than he had in a long time. She believed in him, and he wasn't going to disappoint her.

It was time to end this.


	16. Chapter 16

_Hello, all! We've been working frantically to get this done. Contrary to what one of us thinks of the other one (jenn), we are not evil...lol! Just a little devious with a sick sense of humor...lol. :)__We want to thank everyone who read and/or reviewed the last chapter or any of the others we've written. We really do appreciate all the feedback we get from all of you. Please let us know what you think of this one too._

_Yours, as always,_

_butterflyswest and Erin Allen_

16

Neela chewed on her knuckle though the skin was already raw. Her nerves were strung tight as piano wire and her stomach was rolling unpleasantly. She was waiting for Ray to finish dressing so they could go to Ramsey's office. It wasn't something that she was looking forward to, and this certainly was not the way she had envisioned meeting the parent of the man she loved. She could only imagine what Ray was feeling. He'd disappeared into their room without a word just after the phone call from Ramsey. She had left him alone, allowing him a moment to himself.

The elder Barnett was in Chicago. In record time. It had only taken hours for Ray's father to call Ramsey on the phone. Will had actually laughed at that. To him, it meant that his almost schoolyard challenge had been accepted. He was nearly giddy with anticipation. Now, two days later, the man was actually here.

_Let the games begin…_

She didn't think that Ramsey's attempt at humor was funny. In all reality, she didn't find anything about this funny. She was more terrified than anything. What if Ramsey's little ruse didn't work? What would happen then? She didn't want to think of the consequences that would fall on them all if that happened. She had nightmares about Ray going to prison. Of Emily being forced back to Philadelphia. Of James Barnett coming for her. Those three things alone were enough to drive her insane, but then she had Brett to contend with. He'd started making it a habit to show up unannounced every other day just to make sure they were alive.

And to play Carter's stereo. Yeah, insanity had definite appeal. She wished that she could just chuck both him and the stereo out the bloody window. She grimaced and glared at him when he began to beat out a quick rhythm on the desktop. He shot her a sheepish look and immediately stopped. She tore her eyes away from him and commenced to chewing on her knuckle again, waiting for Ray to emerge from the bedroom so they could leave.

She glanced up as Brett let out a low whistle and felt her heart skip a beat. Her eyes widened as she rose unsteadily to her feet. She closed her eyes and opened them again in case she was dreaming this. No, he was still there, but she could still barely believe it.

Ray walked into the den wearing the suit that Carter had loaned him. She had always thought that he was handsome, but now he was positively delicious. He looked uncomfortable in the dark blue silk and kept shrugging his shoulders as he scowled. A slow smile crossed her face even as the heat stung her blood. What she wouldn't give to just peel that suit away…

"You clean up nice, Barnett," Brett said, actually sounding sincere. He ruined it in the next breath. "Do your little runway model walk so that we get the full effect."

"Shut up, Brett," Ray muttered, tugging at the tie. "I don't know how Ramsey talked me into wearing this thing. I haven't worn a tie…"

"Since the first time I met you," Neela finished for him, moving across the room to straiten it. She smiled up into his face, her hands on his chest. "You look wonderful."

He smiled and touched her cheek with his fingertips.

"Don't get used to it, though," he said. "I'm not cut out for a suit and tie."

"I know," she said softly, edging closer to press against him. "Don't blame me for admiring the view while I can."

He grinned as Brett groaned and covered his eyes with one hand.

"If you're gonna kiss, then just warn me when you're through. Wouldn't want to go blind over here."

Ray glanced at his friend and raised an eyebrow.

"Don't you have a home to go to?" he asked.

Brett grunted and hopped off his perch on the edge of the desk.

"Hey, you were the one who asked me over. Remember?" he said, feigning hurt. "I come over to stay with your sister, and this is the thanks I get."

"You come here to sponge on Carter's stereo and eat his food," Neela said looking over her shoulder with a grin. "Same as you do at our apartment."

Brett's mouth dropped open in a parody of shock. He looked at Ray.

"Are you gonna let your girlfriend talk to me like that?" he asked.

"Yeah, because it isn't anything that I haven't said to you."

Brett grinned, holding up his hands in defeat.

"Okay, then. You got me. Can I help it that your place is better than mine?"

Neela kept silent, holding in her laughter. She was feeling much better. The sight of Ray in those clothes and the friendly bashing of Brett had done much to improve her temper. There was no way that Ray's father could discount him while he was dressed to the nines. Not that she didn't love him in just tee shirts and jeans…or nothing at all for that matter. She closed the door on that thought before she could give in to the impulse to just take him back to the bedroom and forget about everything else.

Ray turned as Emily came into the room, chomping noisily on a bowl of cereal. She skidded to a halt, her eyes widening as she got a good look at Ray in his borrowed suit. Swallowing with a gulp, she circled around him, her brows furrowing into a frown. Ray sighed inwardly, knowing exactly what she was thinking. He'd seen the result in the mirror, and had been forced to kill the urge to just take the clothes off and go to Ramsey's office in his own. He didn't like the way he had looked in the full-length mirror. He resembled his father, and that didn't sit well with him. He didn't want anything to do with the man.

"I don't like it," Emily said flatly, her frown a full-fledged glower.

"How can you say that?" Neela asked incredulously, and Ray gave her shoulder a squeeze.

"Don't worry about it, babe. She's just thinking the same thing that I did when I first looked in the mirror."

"And what is that?"

He glanced down into her flashing eyes and offered a small smile.

"Did I ever mention that I take after my father?"

Her mouth opened into a small O of understanding, and she winced.

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean…"

He kissed her forehead.

"You didn't know, and it really doesn't matter."

"Well, it does to me," Emily said angrily. She recovered her composure quickly and took another bite of cereal. "Don't ever dress like that again. Not unless you want me to hurt you."

Ray laughed.

"Don't worry about that. This is a one time only deal." He looked down at Neela. "Are you ready to go?"

She nodded, trying to hide the fear that flashed in her eyes. He appreciated it. He was on edge enough for the both of them as it was. It would be a disaster if both of them fell apart.

"We'll see you two later," he said to Brett. "Try not to blow the speakers while we're gone."

"I'll keep him out of trouble," Emily said cheekily. "I used to baby-sit the neighbors' kids. It can't be much harder."

Brett shot her a dark look, and she laughed.

"Just wait until they're gone, little girl. I'm feeling really lucky today, and I saw a Playstation in the cabinet."

Ray turned to go, but Emily suddenly hurled into his arms, holding him as tightly as she could.

"Be careful, big brother," she whispered.

Ray returned the hug, needing the contact as much as she did. Everything was hinging on this meeting with their father, and he didn't blame her for being scared.

He felt the same way.

"Everything will be fine," he told her, hoping that he sounded convincing.

He gave her a kiss on the top of her head and pulled away. Forcing a smile of reassurance that he didn't feel, he left the room with his arm around Neela's shoulders.

"Jesus, I don't want to do this," he muttered under his breath.

"I know," she answered softly, wrapping her arm around his waist. "But, I'll be right there with you. And Mr. Ramsey knows what he's doing. He won't let anything happen."

Ray blew out a breath, wishing that he could be as confident in the lawyer's abilities as she seemed to be. He hadn't been sleeping for the worry. Neela kept silent about the restless nights, but she knew. She got up with him sometimes, often just to let him hold her, sometimes soothing him with the comfort of her hands on his skin. He wanted to give her so much more than this nightmare.

But first, he had to deal with his father.

Carter's driver was waiting outside for them. As always, the man was like a brick wall, his face betraying nothing until he saw them. Ray couldn't help but grin when he glanced at Brett's van and back at the house, for once showing something other than calm.

"He's not coming," Ray assured him, and laughed out loud at the relief in the man's eyes.

He opened the back door for them, and they slid in. Ray took the window seat, his mind already on the role he was to play today. He had learned over the years to be a good actor. He'd been forced to play the part of a good son. Someone who was happy with his life. His entire childhood was built on playing a part. Now, he was going to have to do it again, but there was more at stake if he failed. His sister's future, his own.

Neela.

He glanced at her as the car began to move. He didn't know what he had done to deserve her, but he knew that he would find any way possible to show her how much he loved her and appreciated her. She was absolutely beautiful in her simple white shirt and black skirt, the heavy jacket she wore over it all pulled close around her throat. She had left her hair loose, and he watched as the weak winter sunlight brushed it with red. He couldn't help but smile at the picture she made. And when she turned her head to smile at him with a question in her eyes, he had to squash the urge to just yank her into his arms and kiss her senseless.

"I love you," he said quietly.

She grinned happily and took his hand, twining her fingers with his.

"I love you, too," she whispered. "Where did that come from?"

He shrugged, not wanting to embarrass himself with the thoughts that were swirling through his head. Instead, he scooted close to hold her against him.

The ride was shorter than he would have liked. It didn't seem like any time had passed at all when the car slowed to a stop. The driver came around and opened the door for them. As Ray stepped out onto the sidewalk, he couldn't help but be impressed.

The high rise was a masterpiece of glass and concrete that seemed to touch the pale blue sky. Weak as the light was in the Chicago winter, the place still found a way to reflect that light and turn it into something dazzling. Ray let out a low whistle. He couldn't even imagine what it would cost to rent office space in a place like this let alone an entire floor.

"Bloody hell," he heard Neela whisper beside him, and he smiled. She was just as awed as he was.

"Come on," he laughed. "Before we get mistaken for slack jawed yokels."

She shot him a sidelong look.

"You started it."

He took her hand, and led her into the building. Each step he took seemed to bring more weight down on him until he felt as if he couldn't breathe. His eyes darted around as they walked, fully expecting to meet his father on ground level. There wouldn't be any need for a meeting then. Ray didn't think that he could control his desire to just finish what he had started three years ago. He tried to calm down as the elevator took them to the fifteenth floor where Ramsey waited for them.

There was no one in the hall as they stepped out of the lift, and Ray breathed a sigh of relief. He'd even had visions of meeting the man in the hall and having to duke it out with him. He laughed inwardly at his stupidity. He should have guessed that his worries were for nothing.

Ramsey's office was at the end of the hall and they let themselves into a small reception area. The receptionist looked up and gave them a warm smile.

"May I help you?"

"We're here to see Mr. Ramsey."

She nodded. "You must be Dr. Barnett." She reached for the phone. "I'll just let him know you're here. She pressed a button and Will's voice answered.

"Yes?"

"Dr. Barnett is here, sir. Should I send him in?"

"Yes, thank you, Sheila."

She smiled and waved her hand toward the door behind her.

"Go right on in."

Ray nodded, his heart starting to pound in his ears. Christ, why had he ever agreed to this insanity? He pasted an expression of indifference on his face, and crossed the room to the door. He forced himself to turn the knob and open the door, bracing himself for the worst.

After three years, the shock should have been less than it was. He'd done everything he could to forget the man who sat at the table in Ramsey's conference room. It didn't help when he told himself these things. His first impulse was to leap across the table at him. Just the smug look on his face was enough to make Ray want to beat it off. With a large stick…or maybe a baseball bat. He straitened his shoulders and glared right back, not willing to show how much the man was getting to him. Ray glanced down at Neela to find that her eyes were glued to his father as well.

She couldn't believe what she was seeing. It was as if some sort of magic mirror was between them. To look at James Barnett, was to see Ray in twenty years. Very little gray had invaded his hair, and he seemed ten years younger than what she had imagined him to be. She took in the expensive watch on his wrist and the fine cut of his custom made blue suit. His red tie was perfectly tied and tightly enough that it almost cut off circulation. He looked perfectly relaxed as he sat at the table beside Randly. She raised her eyes to his face, and got another shock. This time, her anger overrode her urge to simply stare. His eyes were blue, not like Ray's at all, and cold. She had never seen such a chilling look in anyone's eyes before and couldn't help but shiver. It was a look that she imagined would be in a predator's eyes just moments before it struck. It chilled her to the bone, and she wondered how Ray could have lived with such a thing.

"Dr. Barnett…Dr. Rasgotra," Will said from his place on the opposite side of the table from his father. "Please have a seat."

Ray took the seat to Will's right, his eyes never leaving his father. Neela had no choice but to follow as he was clinging to her hand with a death grip.

Will waited until they were seated before he turned his attention back to Ray's father. She glanced at him in surprise as he began to speak, unable to believe the chill in his voice. She actually shivered, feeling as if the cold of the city streets had suddenly blown in this office.

"As you know, sir, I asked you here to discuss Emily."

"I came for a hell of a lot more than that," his father snarled. "I was told that that little bastard was in jail."

Neela winced and glanced at Ray at the petty shot. He didn't even betray that he had heard. He just stared in determined silence.

Ramsey smirked.

"Not even close," he said pleasantly, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.

"Then why am I here? Where is my daughter?"

Ramsey sat back in his seat, his elbows resting lightly on the arms of the chair. His eyes narrowed at the tone of Barnett's voice. This was a man used to giving orders and having them carried out without complaint. This was the man who liked to beat up on children. Ramsey wondered how a man could possibly do such a horrendous thing, but shoved the thought away. He wasn't here to explore the intricacies of the sociopathic mind. He'd leave that to the shrinks. He was here to eliminate the threat to his client.

"Your daughter is under the protection of Chicago Children's Services, and is residing with her brother until an agreement can be reached."

James narrowed his eyes and let a slow grin cross his face. Neela actually flinched away from the look. She could well imagine why Ray and Emily were so terrified of him now. If that look had been arrowed at her, she would have just fallen apart in fear. It was cold, calculating…utterly without emotion other than greed. Like the grin of a shark.

"How much?"

"Excuse me?" Ray burst out. He ignored the narrow look Will leveled on him. "You think that you can just come in here and…"

"Ray…"

He glanced at Will, who was staring at him sternly, and shut his mouth. Grinding his teeth, he settled back in the seat, trying to control his anger. He couldn't believe the audacity that it took to just offer money after what his father had done. It just blew his mind that he even shared a common gene with him.

"This isn't about money, Mr. Barnett," Will continued as if Ray had never spoken. "This is about your daughter."

Ray's father raised an eyebrow, watching the lawyer carefully.

"Perhaps you should explain what you mean, Mr. Ramsey. It was my understanding that my son…" He spat the word as if it was something nasty, and gave Ray a look of contempt… "Wanted a deal. If he doesn't want money, then I can't fathom what he would want."

Ray would have laughed if he hadn't been so pissed off. He had never asked the bastard for a cent. Not once since it had been made clear that he meant nothing to the man. Why would he want money from him now?

"Dr. Barnett doesn't want money," Will assured him firmly. "What he does want…and what your daughter wants, is to be left alone. They want no contact with you."

Barnett actually laughed.

"You, sir, have much to learn about the laws concerning minors and custody," he said as if the ink on Will's law degree was still wet. "I am my daughter's legal guardian…"

"I beg to differ, sir," Will broke in smugly. "As of last week, Chicago Children's Services has legal guardianship of Emily. Perhaps you should pay more attention to the legalities. That is the way things work when there is an accusation of child abuse."

"Child abuse!" Barnett laughed. "Is that what she said? You should know that kids make things up when…"

"I'm afraid that that excuse won't fly, Mr. Barnett," Will snapped. Ray glanced at him in surprise. Up to this point, the man had not shown an ounce of emotion other than cool competency. It truly showed the depth of his anger that he was letting even a little of it show.

"As of right now, I could have you arrested on charges of child abuse, sir. Emily has sworn out her statement to the detective in charge of the case."

Barnett narrowed his eyes.

"You would never make the charges stick," he said in a deadly voice. "I would slap you and your _client_ with so many lawsuits that you wouldn't know which way was up."

Will smiled coldly.

"I realize that. Meanwhile, you still wouldn't have your daughter. She would continue to be in the custody of her brother until the red tape was cleared up." He reached for a thick file folder and pulled it toward him. With carefully deliberate movements, he opened the folder and glanced at the top sheet. "The fact of the matter is, Mr. Barnett, you have bigger problems."

Ray felt his pulse quicken. Everything hinged on this, and he was suddenly excited. Just seeing his father again had sent him into a tailspin. He wanted this over with, and Will held the key to that end in the folder before him.

"What are you talking about?"

Will glanced at Ray, giving the signal.

"I want you to sign over custody of Emily to me," he said clearly. "Today."

"Like hell." His father turned his icy gaze on Ray. "You think I don't know about you, boy? I do. I know about the bars, and the booze. I know about the band and how you dress like a thug. I know that you are useless. You always were." He glanced at Neela and smirked. "Is this the groupie of the month? How much does she charge?"

Ray held onto Neela when he felt her move in angry indignation beside him. It wasn't anything he hadn't heard before, but it didn't change the fact that Ray would have loved to just beat the living piss out of him. Ray suddenly wondered what the hell he'd been so afraid of all those years. The man was pathetically predictable. Anything he did was a ploy to get a rise out of someone and give him an excuse to hurt them any way he could.

"Believe what you want," he said with a shrug, feigning indifference. "I want Emily, and you're going to give her to me."

"Now why the hell would I do that?"

"Because if you don't," Will broke in, "I'll make sure that the IRS gets a really good look at these."

He shoved the folder across the table and waited while Barnett scanned the contents. He held in his grin as the man's face went red then stark white. He looked up at Will.

"How did you come by this information, might I ask?" he said tightly, his voice trembling with fury.

"I have my sources," Will told him cryptically. "As things stand, I could take that file directly to the IRS or send it to the police in Philadelphia. Either way, you are going to go to prison for a very long time. Or, you can do as my client asks and sign over all rights to his sister to him."

Barnett's face twisted into a snarl.

"That is blackmail," he said.

"Blackmail is such a harsh word," Will said lightly, his eyes flashing. "Considering your sins, what I'm doing is a mild infraction."

Ray watched as his father digested this. He managed to remain still as the man turned his cold blue gaze on him.

"So this is what you've sunk to?"

Ray leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. A thousand different things he wanted to say shot through his head. He wanted to tell the man how very much he hated him. How much he hated what he had done to him, to Emily. He burned to just jump across the table and beat the man to a bloody pulp right there. Instead, he smiled.

"I learned everything I know about cruelty from you," he said quietly, making certain that the barb hit home.

Barnett rose abruptly to his feet. Randly followed suit, looking as if he'd just been sideswiped by a garbage truck. Ray wondered how long it would take before the man was looking for another job.

"This meeting is over."

"And your answer?" Will asked, getting to his feet to face him.

Barnett glared first at him, then at Ray.

"I'll think about it."

With that, he was gone, taking the oppressive chill in the air with him.

Ray blew out a breath and sat back in his seat. He was suddenly exhausted, his emotions in a turmoil. He'd won one small victory, but the war was still not decided. Until his father either agreed to the terms or went to jail, nothing was certain. He didn't know what he was going to tell Emily when he got back.

"Don't worry about a thing, Ray. He'll see that he has no choice."

Ray glanced at Will. He didn't feel so confident. The only thing he was grateful for was the fact that the offer was on the table. No matter what his father decided, Emily wouldn't be going back to Philly. He turned to look at Neela. Her eyes were bright and her lips pressed together in a thin line of anger.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"I cannot believe that wanker!" she said harshly. "He's lucky that I didn't just leap across the table at him."

"You don't know how to fight," Ray said with a smile.

"Well, I'd bloody well learn, wouldn't I," she snapped, glaring at him. "And don't grin at me like a fool, Barnett. I don't know how you could have just sat there when he was saying those things about you."

Ray pulled her to her feet as he stood and took her into his arms.

"By remembering that I have you and Emily. I don't need him, and I don't care what he thinks of me." He dipped his head to kiss her lightly. "You love me, and that's all that matters to me."

He looked at Ramsey over her head.

"What now? He didn't take the offer."

Will sighed, gathering up his papers.

"He'll either take the offer or he won't. Right now, he needs a minute to call anyone he can and try to dig up what he can about us. He's looking for a way out." Will tucked the thick folder under his arm. "The thing is, he's screwed and deep down he knows it. He can try to go to the police with this, claim that we're blackmailing him, but he won't. I know his kind unfortunately. He has too much to lose."

Ray closed his eyes and shook his head.

"I thought that I would feel better about this," he said quietly.

"And that's why I like you, son. You're still human. I'll call you when he calls me," he said before he left the room.

Ray nodded, and looked down at Neela.

"Let's go home, babe."

She nodded, and smiled suddenly.

"I need to stop at the market though."

"Why?"

"Because your sister ate all your cereal again."

Ray could only laugh, remembering the night that had started all this.

"No problem," he said, grinning. "Just so long as we get some for you, too. Brett got hungry yesterday."

She shot him a look that said, "Paybacks are a bitch" and walked with him to the door.

"Maybe we'll be lucky and they will have killed each other by the time we get back."

Ray laughed again, closing the door behind him.


	17. Chapter 17

_Hello, everyone! Yes, it's us again! First, we need to thank everyone who has reviewed and/or read this story. We appreciate every one of you. :) We know that we only updated a few days ago, but this one flowed so well that we just couldn't wait to share it. Please let us know what you think. You truly do make our day when you review. As always..._

_Yours,_

_butterflyswest and Erin Allen_

17

"I don't know what I'm gonna tell Em," Ray said as the car pulled into Carter's circular drive.

Neela glanced at him and sighed. She was more than tired. Actually, she wouldn't have minded just lying down and sleeping for the next twenty years or so. The meeting hadn't gone as she had believed it would. She knew what Ray had told her about his father, but she had never thought that his description could be an understatement. The reality was so much worse. She had been appalled at the open contempt he showed toward his own son. Her own parents would have died rather than show her such hostility. She was their child. Even after all the nagging and they still loved her enough to let her make her own decisions. And the very thought of hurting one of their children was unheard of.

Now they would have to tell Emily that things had not gone according to plan. Not completely anyway. Neela couldn't help but cringe at what she would say to all this. Would she even understand what this meant? Unfortunately, Neela thought that she very well would.

"We'll tell her together," she said as the car came to a halt. "We'll just tell her that we'll do everything we can to make certain that she won't ever have to go back."

The driver opened the door and Neela slid out. Ray followed, running his hand through his hair to rub the back of his neck. The man took the grocery bag from Ray's hand, earning a startled look.

"I'll just take that, sir."

Neela raised her eyebrows and murmured a thank you.

"I didn't think he could speak," she said under her breath.

Ray offered a small smile at her attempt at humor.

"We can tell her together, but that still doesn't change the fact that he didn't take the deal."

"Yet," Neela added firmly. "He could still call today."

Ray shrugged and opened the door. "Either way, she's not going back to Philly. Not with him anyway. That's all I really care about."

Neela nodded, following him in.

He wasn't three feet in the door before he'd loosened his tie and slipped it off. Neela couldn't help but laugh at that, even with the tension from the meeting still weighing her down. He really was a creature of comfort. Jeans were about as dressy as he got. By the time he was to the den, his sport coat was over his arm, the sleeves of his dress shirt unbuttoned, and the shirttails hanging out and fluttering. She grinned and shook her head.

"You weren't kidding when you said this was a one time only deal."

He gave her a grin over his shoulder.

"Nope. I'm not cut out for that look. You'll be lucky to…"

He broke off, his face going slack with shock at what he'd been about to say. He clamped his lips shut and forced a smile at her questioning look.

"I'll be lucky to what?" she asked.

"Nothing. My brain is all over the place right now," he muttered. "Listen, I'm going to go change before we talk to Em."

Neela frowned and nodded, her eyes following him as he walked down the hall to their room. She had no idea what he'd been about to say, but there was no mistaking that look on his face. He had the same look every time he'd said something incredibly stupid and was only just realizing it. She shook her head, knowing that asking him directly would yield no results. The more she asked, the less he would say. She sighed. He would tell her when he was ready. Or until she nagged him long enough.

She found Brett and Emily in the den playing some asinine game on the Playstation. Just as Brett had promised, he was winning, but not by much. Neela grinned as Emily crowed with triumph and passed his score.

"Dammit! Would you just play fair for once?" he asked testily.

"What's fair?" Emily shot back, her eyes never leaving the screen. "It's a computer generated game, genius. How can I cheat?"

"Hello, kids," Neela said from the doorway before their argument could escalate to all out bloodshed. "Can't you play nice with Brett, Emily?"

"I would if he wasn't such a baby about losing."

Brett paused the game, earning a scowl from Emily. He actually looked relieved when he saw that Neela had returned. His smile looked almost strained.

"Hi mom, did you bring me anything?" he said in a high falsetto.

Neela rolled her eyes, and Emily winced.

"Sore loser," the girl muttered as she rose from the floor. She turned on her heel to look at Neela. "You guys are back early."

"Not really," Neela hedged. "We stopped at the market for more cereal."

Emily's face lit up, and Neela couldn't help but feel guilty for the distraction. She saw Brett give her an odd look, and she shook her head slightly.

"Hey, Brat. Why don't you go ask Anna to make something for lunch," he said from the floor. He gave her a wide grin when she scowled down at him. "After the beating you almost gave me, it's the least you can do."

She rolled her eyes.

"Good God, you're worse than a kid!"

His grin widened, and he batted his eyelashes at her in a puppy dog look.

"Pwease?"

Neela laughed. She'd seen this act before and knew he wouldn't quit until he'd gotten what he wanted. Emily sighed, suddenly catching on.

"Ok, then. I get it. Grown up talk." She glared at Neela. "But when I come back, you had better tell me what happened."

"I promise that when Ray gets done changing, we'll tell you."

With one more sullen glare at both of them, Emily left the room, muttering under her breath.

"Okay," Brett said, rising to his feet. "I know that look. What happened?"

"He didn't take the deal," Ray said from the doorway.

Neela turned to find him pulling a tee shirt down to hang over his jeans. His feet were bare as he padded toward them to flop down onto the sofa. Neela's heart clenched at the utter fatigue in his face as he scrubbed at his hair.

"What? I thought your lawyer said…"

"He thinks that it's only a matter of time," Ray interrupted. "Daddy dearest still thinks he can get out of this."

"Oh, shit," Brett muttered. He gave Ray a sympathetic look. "Are you gonna tell her?"

"I have to," he said wearily. "I can't keep this from her. I won't do that to her."

Ray could only sit there, feeling tired. There was no other word that would describe it. He was just tired to his core. He would have liked nothing better than to just let Emily live in ignorance. It would have been easier on her. He wished that he could just be ignorant of the whole thing. He didn't like the feeling of this hanging over them, just waiting for the wrong moment to fall and destroy them all. He had believed that he would never feel that way again the night he'd fled his parents' house.

He sighed as Neela settled on the couch beside him and laid her head on his shoulder. He was so glad that she was there that it was painful; an ache in his chest that wouldn't go away. Not that he wanted it to. He couldn't believe that she was still there with him. After all the shit, she was still there. He still couldn't believe what he had almost let slip. What a disaster that would have been. It had taken two years to get them to this point, and he wasn't about to screw it up now. He didn't have any right to think about…that. Not with his father hanging over all of them like a dark cloud.

Emily came in then, her face set in a stubborn scowl. She took one look at him and immediately planted her hands on her hips. He couldn't help but grin at the way she looked. It was the same thing he did whenever he wanted to be a pain in the ass.

"Okay, you had your little conference," she said, glaring at Neela and Brett. "You changed your clothes…thank God for small favors. Now spill it. What happened?"

Ray exchanged an amused look with Neela and laughed at Brett's disgusted look.

"She's a cocky brat, ain't she?"

Emilylooked over her shoulder at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Care for a rematch, Brett?"

"Children, please," Neela broke in. She sighed in defeat as they stuck their tongues out at each other. _I'm never having children, _she thought again. With Brett and Emily around, she didn't need any more kids. Emily turned back to pin Ray with a glare, but Neela could see the effort it was taking her to keep up her façade. She was afraid and was trying to hide it.

"He didn't take the deal," Ray said bluntly. There was really no way to break it to her gently, and he was just too worn out to try.

"And that means what?"

"That its not over," he said with a sigh. "The only thing I can guarantee is that you won't be going back to Philly. Not now, not ever."

Relief flashed briefly across her face, only to be replaced by more worry.

"And what about you, Ray? Will he come after you?"

"No," Ray lied. He was sure that if his father could find a way, that Ray would be the first one he came after. "He won't come for me."

Emily frowned, her eyes searching his face. After a long moment, she spun around and moved toward the door.

"Emily…"

"Not now, Ray," she said harshly. She pinned him with a hard glare. "And don't ever lie to me again. I'm not a child."

Ray groaned as she left the room, jumping to his feet to follow her. Dammit, he hadn't meant to hurt her. He'd only been trying to keep her from worrying. He was halfway across the foyer when the front doorbell rang. He cursed. What the hell else could go wrong today? He veered toward the door and threw it open.

"What?"

Ray froze when he saw who stood there. His heart began to pound in his chest, as he thought of Emily in the next room. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure she was out of sight. Neela came to the door of the den and gave him a questioning look that he answered with a shake of his head. He didn't want her out here either. He turned his eyes back to the man on the stoop and scowled.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he growled, placing his body squarely in the doorway. His father smiled coldly.

"I came to see my daughter," he said simply. "The one you've been keeping from me."

"She ran away from you," Ray contradicted. "And she doesn't want a damn thing to do with you."

"She's still my daughter. What she thinks she wants isn't relevant."

"Just like what I wanted wasn't relevant," Ray shot back, his blood coming to a boil. "You never gave a shit about either one of us, so why are you here now?"

His father scowled and took a step forward, his hand on the door. Ray held on and stepped outside, closing the door firmly behind him. The frozen concrete on the stoop immediately numbed his feet, but he didn't care. There was no way he was letting this man in the house.

"I would suggest you leave. Now."

"I'll leave when I have her," his father said harshly. "I'm not going to let some little punk playing doctor take from me everything I've worked for."

"Worked for?" Ray shouted incredulously, ignoring the insults. He didn't care what the man thought of him. "You've done nothing but cheat and lie your way through life. You beat up on little kids and cover it up."

"You always were too stupid to see the truth," his father sneered. "I was hard on you because you were weak. If you had just done what you were supposed to do…"

"What? Live like a prisoner? Just suck it up?" Ray stepped off the stoop and into the snow, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. "I sucked it up for years until I wanted to puke. Nothing was ever good enough to you. I never wanted your life, Dad. Never."

His father narrowed his eyes on him.

"I know all about your 'choices', boy. You chose to live like one of the little dirt bags I used to put in prison. Playing with a band, drinking like a fish. How many women did you take back to that rat hole of an apartment? How long will it be before that pretty little Indian girl sees the truth and leaves you swinging in the wind?"

Ray actually saw red at the mention of Neela. He'd read the phrase in books, but had always thought it was just a figure of speech. Now he knew that it wasn't. He felt as if his blood was on fire as his heart pumped it through his veins. He took a deep breath, and stepped back, knowing that if he didn't put some distance between himself and the bastard in front of him, he would kill him.

"I think you need to leave," he said through clenched teeth, keeping a tight rein on his temper. _I won't hit him,_ he thought. _I won't be like him._

"I'm not leaving without Emily."

His father took one step toward the door, but Ray was there first. Forgetting his resolve to not hit him, Ray shoved as hard as he could with his hands on his father's chest. The man went sprawling in the snow, only to pop back up like a jack in the box from hell and come at Ray. Ray's breath rushed from his lungs as his back hit the door and his father's weight slammed into him. Momentarily stunned, he didn't even feel it when a fist caught him in the jaw. He tasted blood, but there was no time to think of that. All he could think of was fighting. He wasn't going to go down as he had before. He'd never allow this man to do that to him again.

He drew back his fist and let it fly, not caring where it landed. The impact reverberated through his arm as his knuckles connected with bone. He pushed away from the door, launching himself after his father as he toppled off the stoop. They rolled on the ground, throwing punches, but Ray didn't feel the cold of the snow or the pain as he was hit. His blood wasablaze withfury. All he could think of were the years of misery he had suffered, the years that Emily had suffered. He wouldn't let that happen to her again. Somehow, he got to his knees and drew back his fist to deliver another blow when he was caught up short. Ray swung around, his fist still raised to find Carter holding the back of his shirt.

"What in God's name is going on here?" Carter asked angrily. His eyes flicked to the man who was rising to his feet with snow clinging to his clothes. The door opened behind them, and Brett came racing out, his face twisted in anger.

"Jesus Christ, Barnett!" Brett said, moving toward Ray's father like a cat stalking prey. "Couldn't you have at least called me if you were gonna do this? I haven't had a good fight in a while."

Carter glanced at Ray's father as he released his hold on Ray.

"Is this him?" he asked coldly.

Ray swiped at his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Yeah. He wants Emily."

"You're trespassing," Carter said. "I suggest you leave."

"That little bastard has my daughter in there!" Barnett panted. "If you help him, then I'll bury you too."

Carter gave him a look of contempt.

"You can try. Get off my property or I'll make sure that you do so much time that you'll never see the light of day again."

"You can't…"

"You have no idea who you're dealing with," Carter said. "Leave. Or I'll let Brett finish what Ray started _before_ I call the police."

Brett rubbed his hands together and shot Ray's father a menacing smile.

"Please, give me an excuse," he said, his eyes gleaming evilly.

Ray watched as his father's gaze flicked between the three of them. He narrowed his eyes as Ray leaned over and spat blood in the snow before turning back toward the house. He stiffened when he looked to the door to find Emily standing there, her hands over her mouth and Neela's arm around her shoulders. Shame at what he had done swelled in him as he met her terrified gaze. His eyes flicked to Neela, and she offered a tremulous smile.

"Emily…"

She shook her head and pulled away from Neela to walk toward their father. There were tears in her eyes as she looked at the man, and Ray cursed himself for putting them there.

"You should leave, Dad," she said quietly. "I'm not going back to Philadelphia."

"I am your father…" he began, his voice a deep growl.

"No. Not any more. Not ever really. Father's don't do the things you did."

"You can't decide, little girl. You don't have the right."

"I won't go back with you. I don't care what I have to do, I'm staying with Ray."

Barnett's lip curled into a snarl.

"He won't be able to take care of you. Look at him."

She shook her head again and straitened to her full height.

"You took me away from him once, and I was too scared to say anything. I won't let you do it again." She took a deep breath and glared at him with her eyes flashing. "I'm not afraid of you anymore."

His face went red, and he took a step toward her. Ray pulled her behind him, creating a barrier between them. He felt Brett take up the space next to him. His father eyed them with scorn, blood sheeting down the left side of his face from a cut over his eye. Disgust suddenly swept through Ray at the sight. He had done that. It made him sick to think that he had acted just like his father. He'd let his anger get the best of him. He knew that he could beat the man senseless and leave him to rot in the snow, but that wasn't him. Ray Barnett didn't operate that way. His job was to save lives, not take them. He shook his head.

"You're not worth it," he said softly.

He turned and looked down at Emily. Gently, he brushed the tears from her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Em," he said, his heart heavy with remorse. "I didn't mean…"

"He hurt you," she said, her voice trembling. She touched his lip gently before burying her face in his chest. He shot a helpless look at Neela, and she smiled softly, pride glowing in her eyes. She came toward them and wrapped her arms around both of them. Ray held them both, blinking back hot tears of his own.

"Touching," his father said sarcastically. "It doesn't change anything."

"No, it doesn't," Carter agreed. He pulled his cell phone from his belt and flipped it open. "Now you can either leave, or you can deal with the Chicago PD. Which do you prefer?"

Barnett gave Carter a look of hatred and straitened his clothes. There was no way out for him. His eyes traveled over every one of them with a look of loathing. Not even Brett was free of his scrutiny. Not that it fazed Brett in the least. He raised an eyebrow and stepped forward.

"That's it. Come get some."

"This isn't over," Ray's father growled, ignoring Brett's challenge, before he turned back toward the street and the car parked there.

"Oh, don't go," Brett called after him. "The party isn't over yet." When the man didn't stop or acknowledge the taunt, Brett gave up. "What a punk," he said scornfully.

When the car disappeared around the first bend, Carter sighed and looked at Ray.

"I take it that all didn't go well today," he said dryly.

"Not exactly," Ray answered before he looked back down at Emily. "Are you all right, squirt?"

She nodded against his chest then raised her head to look at him in wonder.

"You beat up Dad," she said, a slow smile crossing her face.

He laughed and squeezed her against him.

"But you told him off," he said. "What I did isn't something to be proud of."

"Oh, come on, Barnett," Brett said. "Admit it. It felt good to get that action. I should start calling you Sugar Ray."

"Oh God," Neela muttered in disgust. "Doesn't he have an off switch?"

"Afraid not," Ray said. He looked at her. "I'm sorry."

She raised an eyebrow. "For what? I only wish that I could have gotten a few punches in."

He smiled and leaned forward to kiss her gently. His mouth was starting to throb and he thought he might just have a tooth loose. She closed her eyes and touched her forehead to his.

"Are you all right?" she asked softly.

"Nothing that won't heal." He raised his head to look at Carter who was watching them with an expression of amusement. "Why don't you guys go in before you freeze?"

Neela gave him an incredulous look. "What about you? You don't even have bloody shoes on!"

"I'll be there in a minute," he said, his eyes still on Carter.

Neela looked at Carter and back at Ray before she nodded.

"I'll have a look at your hand when you come in," she said, her hot expression promising that she wanted to have a look at more than his hand. She caught Emily's arm and pulled her along though the girl was now in an animated play-by-play with Brett. She sighed audibly as they went inside, closing the door against the winter cold.

"Hell of a day, huh?" Carter asked mildly.

"Yeah," Ray said. Then he laughed. That was the understatement of the century.

"Did you break anything?"

Surprised, Ray glanced down at his hand. Blood was flowing freely from his knuckles. He hadn't even felt pain. He flexed his fingers and felt only the pulling from the gashes. At least he could move them.

"I don't think so," he said. He looked up at Carter. "Listen, I'm sorry that he came here. I didn't think…"

"You can't pick your family, Ray. I know that better than anyone." He looked to the street where Ray's father had disappeared. "You did the right thing."

"It doesn't feel like it."

"You'll just have to make peace with it then."

Ray grimaced. He didn't want to make peace with it. He just wanted to forget that it ever happened. "I guess."

Carter shrugged and turned toward the house.

"I'm going in before I freeze to death. I suggest you do the same before your toes fall off."

Ray nodded and fell into step beside him. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, his feet were really hurting. He laughed at his own stupidity. He couldn't believe that he'd gone out in the snow to fight his father in his bare feet. It ranked right up there with Brett's little drunken driving incident and his brother's skating mishap into the lake.

Carter opened the door and paused to look back at Ray.

"And by the way, Barnett."

"Yeah?"

Carter smiled, his eyes twinkling. "You don't look a thing like him."

Ray laughed and followed him into the house.


	18. Chapter 18

18

Neela took Ray straight to the bathroom when he returned to the house. He was still spitting blood, and she feared that he'd need dental work soon. It was a good thing that they had insurance through the hospital. His knuckles had already stopped bleeding, so she wasn't worried about that. What scared her most of all was the way he couldn't stop shivering.

"Strip," she ordered as she turned the water on in the bathtub.

He gave her a slow grin though his teeth were still chattering.

"Anything you want, babe," he said raising his eyebrows suggestively.

She rolled her eyes.

"We have to get you warmed up," she told him impatiently. "Even the short time you were out there could have given you hypothermia."

He caught her wrist as she turned to test the water temperature and pulled her against him, his front to her back. She suppressed a groan as she felt him hard and heavy against her backside.

"I know one way that you could warm me up," he breathed against her neck when he bent to nibble the sensitive skin there. Her breath caught at the sensations that suddenly coursed through her.

"You're just insatiable aren't you?" she asked raggedly as his cold hands lifted her shirt to tease her through her bra.

"Completely," he answered, his voice muffled as he nibbled her ear.

Suddenly she turned, not caring if the entire British Navy walked in just then. She needed to kiss him, needed to show him how worried she had been, how much she loved his courage, his strength. He matched her in ferocity, as if he was starving for just one taste of her. He broke away just long enough to yank his shirt over his head and drop it to the floor before he was again plundering her mouth. She unbuttoned his jeans, and he groaned when she slipped her hand inside to gently cup him.

"Christ!" he breathed, closing his eyes for a moment. Then he smiled. "Talk about insatiable."

"You started it," she said breathlessly. She pulled away from him with a smile. "I'll just lock the door. You take those clothes off and get in the tub."

He gave her a look of confusion. "But…I thought…"

"That tub is big enough for two," she said coyly, slipping behind him to flip the lock.

His smile was startling in its brilliance. He wasted no time shedding his clothes, and she could only laugh. He was bloody shameless in his eagerness.

"Now you," he said, reaching for her.

She stepped away, shaking her head and smiling.

"First you get in."

"Neela…"

She stepped forward, placing a finger over his lips.

"I'm trying to take care of you, Ray," she said softly. "Just like you take care of us."

His heart contracted at her words, and he thought he just might cry. He hadn't thought that he'd been taking care of a damn thing. He had allowed the apartment to be wrecked, his father had refused the deal, and then, he'd duked it out with the man on Carter's front lawn. He couldn't deny the look in her eyes or the sight of her smile as she looked at him. Nor could he ignore the fact that she even wanted to be there. Without another word, he did as she ordered and stepped into the tub. The water burned his skin, he was so cold, but it was nothing compared to the sudden blaze in his blood as he watched her undress.

She slowly unbuttoned her blouse, her nimble fingers lingering over each one until he thought he would go insane. Dropping the shirt to the floor, she turned to slowly unzip her skirt and slide it down her hips to puddle on the floor beside her shirt. She smiled at him over her shoulder, and he could only give her a pained smile in return. She was killing him. He was burning for her in a way that he'd never known, and with each slow painful second he was growing desperate. By the time she'd unhooked her bra and slid her panties off, he was afraid that he would just burst.

"To hell with this," he growled and lunged from the water to pull her in with him. She squealed as water sloshed over the side to wet the floor. He laughed. He didn't care if they flooded the entire wing. If he couldn't touch her, he was going to lose his mind. He slammed his mouth down on hers not caring that it hurt. The pain was meaningless compared to the wonder of her. The nightmare of the day was swept clean before the flood of emotion pouring through him. God, he loved this woman!

He skimmed his fingers over her wet skin savoring her softness beneath his fingers. He shuddered as her hands slid up his back, pulling him closer. He smiled against her lips as she rose up to rub herself against him, betraying her own need. He bent forward to gently nip her earlobe, to taste the skin of her throat with his tongue. She moaned softly as he trailed hot kisses to her collarbone, his hands relentlessly teasing her nipples until they were peaked. She threw her head back as he replaced his hand with his mouth, laving the hard tip with his tongue. He held his hand at her back to keep her where she was, not wanting to neglect one inch of her. Her hair fell over his hand, tangling with his fingers. The short crisp hairs between her legs teased him beneath the water until it was all he could do just to stay sane.

He couldn't wait anymore. He had to feel her from the inside. He leaned back in the water, pulling her with him, her legs straddling his hips. He rested his head against the edge of the tub, and, in one firm thrust was inside her.

Neela whimpered at the feel of him there, stretching her, filling her to capacity. Never before had she felt such unbridled need. She'd had lovers before, but not one of them had ever made her feel like Ray did, as if her next breath depended on having him inside her, surrounding her with his strength. She moved above him, her hands on his chest. She smiled as he closed his eyes and thrust into her. It made her feel wonderful to see the pleasure on his face when they made love. She didn't feel the least bit self-conscious. The look in his eyes was all the proof she needed that he enjoyed touching her, holding her.

He held her hips as he thrust into her, pushing deeper with every movement. Her breathing grew more ragged with every thrust. Suddenly she cried out, arching her back as she came. He could only hold on as her body clutched his until, a few moments later, he joined her. Waves of blinding pleasure crashed over him as he clamped his jaw over a roar of triumph.

He pulled her down while his pulse pounded and his breathing gradually returned to normal. He never would have thought when he'd first left his parents' house that he would know this kind of peace. He never would have believed that he could be this happy. Neela had changed that. She'd changed everything he'd once believed in and made it better. Her love was the one thing that banished the pain of his past.

"I love you," she murmured against his throat, her breath brushing his skin. He tightened his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"I love you, too," he whispered against her hair.

He felt her smile.

"Are you warmed up now?"

He laughed softly, his hand stroking her hair.

"More than warm, babe."

She lifted her head to look down at him, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Good. Now maybe you can tell me what you were going to say in the foyer."

He opened his mouth to deny that he was going to say anything, but shut it again. He wasn't going to lie to her. He'd already gotten in trouble once today for lying, and he wasn't about to make the same mistake twice. But he couldn't tell her what he'd been thinking at that moment. It wasn't the right time.

"I'll tell you later," he said instead, lifting his head from the edge of the tub to kiss her. "It wasn't important anyway."

She frowned and pulled back avoiding his kiss, her gaze searching his.

"Why don't I believe you?" she asked.

He smiled what he hoped was his best charming smile and hooked the back of her neck to pull keep her where she was as he kissed her. He cursed softly at the sharp sound of knocking on the door.

"I don't know if you care," Brett's voice called through the door. "But there's water seeping out from under the door out here."

Neela covered her mouth with her hands as she started laughing. Ray grinned.

"No, we don't care," he called back.

"Okay. Just checking." There was a pause. "Oh, yeah, we were wondering if the two of you will be out of there before you shrivel up. Some of us have to use the bathroom here."

"There's another bathroom around here," Ray said loudly. "Find it."

"Don't want to. And besides, it's really not cool of you two to disappear when you have guests."

"You're not a guest, Brett," Neela said. "You are the annoying brother that eats all the food in the house and takes up space on the sofa."

"Aww…Dr. Neela. You say the sweetest things. We just wanted to know if we should call 911. You've been in there for over an hour."

They looked at each other in shocked amusement. Ray grinned. He hadn't realized that they had been in there that long.

"We'll be out in a minute," he called through the door.

"You better hurry, because I'm getting antsy out here."

"Time flies," Ray laughed.

"Yes, it does," she agreed. She shook her head. "Don't think that this gets you off the hook, Barnett. I still want an answer to my question."

He cringed inwardly, knowing that she would never let it go.

"Maybe later," he dodged. "Brett's waiting, remember?"

She gave him a look that promised that this wasn't over and stood to step from the tub.

Their clothes were a mess; soaked through with water. They wrapped as best they could in towels before they opened the door. Brett was still standing there, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed across his chest. He glanced over as the door opened before spinning back around.

"Dammit, Barnett! Couldn't you at least warn a guy before you walk around like that? I'm scarred for life now."

"Shut up, Brett," Ray said as Neela darted around him toward their room, her face flaming with embarrassment. "Be careful in the bathroom. The floor's all wet."

Brett snorted.

"Wonder how that happened," he muttered, and Ray laughed.

Neela was already dressed when he got to the room.

"We didn't bruise Brett's tender sensibilities did we?" she asked dryly, pulling one of his tee shirts over her head to cover the jeans she was wearing.

"I don't think he has any," Ray answered, dropping his towel to the floor. She tossed him a pair of boxers and, he caught them in the air. "Thanks, Mom."

"Shut up," she said with a grin. Then she sobered. "What do you think Ramsey will say about what happened."

He shrugged, digging through the closet for a pair of jeans.

"I don't know. I doubt that it'll be pretty."

She sat on the edge of the bed as he yanked the jeans over his boxers and started rummaging through a drawer for a tee shirt. She sucked in a deep breath when he bent to look in the bottom drawer. She would never have believed that the very sight of him would put her in such a state. She truly was becoming a groupie.

"I can't think that it will be that bad. After what happened outside…"

Ray sighed. "What happened outside shouldn't have happened. I lost my temper."

"With good reason," she said heatedly. "You were only trying to protect your sister."

"And you," he added, looking at her over his shoulder. "I didn't want him anywhere near you."

She was silent for a long moment before she rose from the bed and went to him, laying her head against his chest.

"For what it's worth, I'm proud of you."

God, would she ever cease making him feel ten feet tall? It was worth everything just to hear her say those words.

"Thank you," he whispered, giving her a quick squeeze. "Now we'd better go out there before Emily calls in a search party."

She laughed as he flung his arm over her shoulders to lead her out.

000000

The phone was ringing, waking Ray from a dead sleep. Neela muttered beside him in protest of the noise and rolled over as he untangled from her to grab it.

"Yeah?" he said thickly.

"Ray, I'm sorry to wake you, but I couldn't wait to tell you."

The last dredges of sleep fell from him all at once. He glanced at the clock to find that it was a little after midnight, but Ramsey sounded as jittery as a caffeine fiend. Ray sat up straight, his body protesting every movement. How stupid was he to have rolled around in the snow fighting? It had been three days, but he still ached as if it had just happened.

"What's going on?" he asked, almost dreading the answer. He had been waiting for a call like this, one telling him that his father had just pressed charges for assault, or was slapping him with a lawsuit.

"It's over," Ramsey said simply, his tone betraying his excitement. "He's on his way back to Philadelphia now."

Ray's heart plummeted into the pit of his stomach before it rose again to choke him.

"What?" he asked sharply, drawing Neela's attention. She sat up, blinking sleep from her eyes to give him a look of concern. _What's happening, _she mouthed, but he could only shake his head, too shocked to answer.

"He signed the papers this afternoon. I pulled some strings, woke a judge up and had the papers filed before anything could be done to deny them. It's finished, Dr. Barnett."

Ray felt his heart begin to pound in his chest as the words hit him with the impact of a sledgehammer. He could hardly believe what he was hearing. It was over. All of it. Emily was safe and neither one of them would ever have to deal with the man again. Hot tears pricked his eyes as he looked at Neela.

"Did he say why?" he asked.

"No, but he was beyond pissed off. I think what got him was when I called and told him that Dr. Carter wanted to press charges. Apparently he did some homework and found out just how influential John can really be."

Ray closed his eyes and swallowed back the lump the rose in his throat. Yet again he had Carter to thank. Carter's willingness to help him was amazing. He glanced at Neela, taking in the beauty of her face in the moonlight from the window. Her dark eyes bored into him, flooded with love and concern. The love she gave him…that was nothing short of miraculous.

"Thanks, Will," he said in a choked voice. "Thanks for everything."

"You're very welcome, son. I'll come around with more paperwork for you to sign in the next few days.

Now you take care of that girl and your lovely doctor. Call me if you need anything else."

Ray thanked him again, feeling as if he was about to choke, and hung up the phone. He turned to look at Neela who was staring at him with apprehension.

"Ray?"

"It's over," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "He signed the papers this afternoon. He's gone, Neela."

Her mouth dropped open before she lunged at him to take him into her arms. He buried his face in her hair and let the tears fall from his eyes. The nightmare that he'd been living with for years was finally over. His sister was safe, and he had Neela.

She held him as he shook with the force of his tears. The love she had for him swelled to impossible proportions at the trust it took for him to open himself to her like that. He lifted his head to look down at her, and she caught her breath at the love that burned there.

"I love you," he said. "Thank you for being here with me."

"I love you, Ray," she said softly, swiping at his tears with her thumbs. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." She chuckled then. "Except maybe for home."

He smiled incredulously.

"What, you don't like Carter's house? What do you want to go back to that apartment for?"

"Because it's our home," she said quietly, sincerely.

Ray leaned down, and kissed her with everything he had in him.

000000

_"We have three kinds of family. Those we are born to, those who are born to us and those we let into our hearts."--Acheron Parthenopaeus, from _

_Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunter™ series _

They were going home.

Neela sighed in relief as their neighborhood came into sight. It was hard to believe that they had only been gone a little over two weeks. It was even harder to believe how far they had come since this had all started. She looked at Ray. She had changed in that time, just as he had. They were both the same people. He was still a slob. He still acted like a kid sometimes when it came to his tastes, but inside, she could feel the difference. Without the threat of his father hanging over him, he had found a calm that he'd not known in the past. And she knew that she had changed. She would never be the control freak she had once been. After everything, she now realized that each moment they had was valuable. And she planned to spend as many precious moments as she could with him.

Neela couldn't sit still as Carter's driver pulled the car to the curb in front of their building. She glanced at Ray, trying to hide her excitement. She had been waiting for this with all the anticipation of a child waiting for Christmas. It was more than she could stand to keep still as they unloaded their things from the car. She exchanged a look with Emily and the girl grinned. Neela had let her in on the secret, and to her credit, Emily had kept it close.

"Let me take that, Brat," Brett said as he sidled up beside them. He took the bag from Emily's hand and swung it over his shoulder. He looked up at the building with a grimace. "Quite a switch from the glitz and glamour, huh?"

Neela shrugged without interest. As beautiful as Carter's house had been, she craved the coziness of their small apartment. One that was about to become a lot cozier.

They took the stairs to their floor, Ray cursing again at the broken elevator. Brett laughed.

"I thought you were happy to come home, Barnett."

"You would think that after two weeks they could have had the damn thing fixed," he said irritably. "When we start cleaning up it would have been nice to not have to lug everything down the stairs."

Neela forced her expression to stay blank at that. By the time they reached their door, she was about to burst.

The look on his face as he opened the door was worth every sneaky thing she had done in the last week to keep her secret. His mouth dropped open, and he took a step forward before dropping the bag he carried to the floor. His eyes were wide in his face as he turned to look at her.

"What the hell..?"

"Abby, Chuni, and Helae did me a favor," she answered. Actually, she owed them big time for the cleaning of the mess in the apartment, but it was a debt that she would gladly pay. She eased around him to enter and smiled. They had done their job well. She only hoped that they had hidden her other surprise where she'd asked. She went to his room and opened the door, her smile becoming a full-fledged grin. She picked up the guitar and carried it into the living room.

His eyes widened when she placed it into his hands.

"I couldn't fix the one you lost," she told him softly. "But they said that this one was owned by Jimmi Hendrix. I hope that it…"

He choked and Brett whistled as he came closer to have a look.

"When did you do this?" Ray asked, his heart in his throat.

"Its amazing what you can find online," Emily said smugly. "Don't tell me that you don't like it," she snapped when he could only gape at her.

He looked at Neela and saw the worry in her eyes. Carefully, he set her gift aside and swept her into his arms.

"Thank you," he whispered against her hair.

"I'm outta here," Emily said, dragging her bag toward the hallway.

"I'm with ya," Brett agreed. He paused long enough to give Ray a knowing look. "This one's a keeper, Ray," he told him before he disappeared after Emily. The sound of their bickering began almost as soon as he was out of sight. It was like listening to children fight with the insults that were hurled back and forth.

Ray looked down into Neela's eyes and smiled. As crazy as he was, as crazy as his friends were, he couldn't agree more with Brett.

"I have something I want to ask you," he said.

"I have something I want to tell you, too," she told him with a small smile.

He grinned. "Okay. What is it?"

"No, you first."

He shook his head and laughed. He should have known that she couldn't wait.

"Will you marry me?" he asked, just as she said, "I'm pregnant."

"What?" they said in unison, their eyes widening.

Ray felt his heart start to hammer as he heard his sister's feet pound into the room.

"What did you just say?" she asked in a strained squeal. "Did you just say what I think I heard?"

Ray glanced at her, helpless to speak. He could see that Brett was as shocked as he was.

He turned back to Neela.

"Are you sure?" he asked faintly.

She smiled and stepped into his arms.

"You're going to be a father," she said, her eyes on his face. "And yes, Ray. I will marry you."

Ray closed his eyes, letting the words seep into him. Joy, pure and complete, sent his heart into a spin. She'd said yes. And she was going to have a baby. His breath caught at the realization that he…Ray Barnett…was going to be a father. It scared him to the very core, but he couldn't help but feel that this was another chance for him. A new beginning. He had a family now, a real one, and he wasn't about to throw that away for anything.

"Oh, hell," Brett said from the hall. "They let you procreate too. What's this world coming to?"

Emily gave him a droll look from the corner of her eye.

"Well, at least they didn't let you," she said smartly.

Ray ignored them as they launched into another spat to look at Neela.

"I love you," he said, putting every ounce of feeling that he could into the words.

She smiled, her love answering through her eyes as he kissed her.

_Authors' Note:_

_Well, yes, here we are at the end of Cereal Aisle...Ican't put into words what this story means to me. There's so much...First of allI want to thank each and everyone of you who have read and reviewed.It means the world to me..I am sad to say I'm about to cry. This is the end of somethingI care so much about..I'v never had so much fun doing something as I'v had doing this...I'v found out things about myselfI never knew...I'v done things that I'v never done before, but have always wanted to..You all have touched me in a way I'll never forget..I'v gotten to know some really nice people here and have made a few new friends along the way..I sure hope you all have enjoyed this as much asI have..and a special note to my true best friend in the world (Krissy), you have opened up a new world to me in so many ways that you'll never know how much you mean to me..from here on there are nothing but goods times for us and I'm sure we'll get into a lot of trouble along the way. Can you say "California" anyone? Ohh, yes good times will be had there..so thanks again to everyone...yours, Jenn_

_Hello everyone. As for myself, I just want to say thank you...from the bottom of my heart...thank you. The wonderful things that were said by everyone that read this story gave me the confidence to keep trying. I can't explain what this story has done to help me as a person. There were several people that commented about Ray's father and how horrible he was. The character is based on a real person...someone I know all too well. This has been like therapy for me. I want to thank Jenn, for helping me with my blocks, with my life, listening to my bitches and moans and all around being like a sister to me. It really is true...we all have three kinds of family out there...and you are one of the ones I've let into my heart. I will leave you now and, As always...I am yours...Erin Allen_


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